


When Life Changes

by PsychVamp



Series: Life Changes [1]
Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Alternate Reality, F/M, Pre-Series, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-20
Updated: 2015-11-20
Packaged: 2018-05-02 11:48:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 38,633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5247182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PsychVamp/pseuds/PsychVamp
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set in the 14th Century. Klaus sees a beautiful woman try to stand up for herself, he becomes enamored with her, and wants to make her his. Caroline is unsure what to think when she catches the eye of the powerful Lord Niklaus, but she doesn't think she can stay away, and doesn't want to.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. At First Sight

**_1347_ **

He carefully approached her, not wanting to startle her any more than she already had been in the last few hours. The thunder storm that ragged around them was not doing anything to help her frayed nerves he was sure. The lightening lit up the sky completely, giving the world an eerie glow for a second before plunging the world back into darkness. Her blonde locks would shine in those seconds, making her seem even more the beauty that she was, but sometimes failed to see. He had never meant to fall in love with her. Love was not something he had felt necessary for his existence up until now but he was glad he had waited almost three lifetimes for her.

He sat down next to her slowly, trying again to not frighten her, and he was also unsure if she would even want his presence. She did not even flinch, almost as if she had known he was coming. She closed the small distance between their bodies by leaning her head against his shoulder. He changed their positions by wrapping his arm around her waist causing her head to fall to his chest.

"Why did you not tell me sooner? Have I not proven my loyalty to you? My love?" She said suddenly, her voice full of confusion and hurt, but there was a hidden conviction lacing her words.

"I was afraid." He answered honestly, a new concept for him, "I was afraid that you would leave me when you found out what I was. I am not a good man Caroline. I do not deserve you or your love."

"Both of those things are something I have the right to decide for myself. You cannot dictate what things I do and do not get to know about you. If you truly love me, like you claim to do, then there should be no secrets between us." She said and pulled away from him, turning her body so she was facing him, though she could not see his face in the blackness.

He could see her face clearly though, despite the darkness that surrounded them, and could see the determination that graced her every feature, "You are right. I should not have treated you as I did. Please believe me when I say it was not because I do not trust you, or do not love you. It had everything to do with my own insecurities….things have happened to me in the past that…..have affected my ability to…."

"Let someone in completely?" She suggested, her face full of understanding and warmth, but her eyes remained set and determined.

"Yes." He said firmly, his mood changing instantly as he realized he was being too vulnerable, showing too much weakness.

"Do not do that Niklaus!" She yelled at him, grabbing his hand, and he could feel the warm metal that laced her ring against his flesh, "You are not allowed to shut off your emotions around me. Do not think you are the only one who has even been hurt by someone that is supposed to love them, do you forget where and in what situation you found me?"

He had not forgotten, he was sure that image of her when he first saw her would remain seared in his mind forever.

* * *

_A Few Months Earlier_

He wasn't in the bottom neighborhoods yet, the walk through the districts was slow but always good for entertainment. He loved listening to men cheat on their wives, fully unaware that their own wives were cheating on them as well. Klaus had helped a few of them himself, but never for anything more than a single roll in the sheets. He did not love these women, all of them were too shallow and deceitful for his liking. They reminded him of Tatia, for that he loved to take out some frustration directed at the long dead bitch on them, only for them to forget him in the morning.

He stopped as he heard a rather large crash come from the estate on his left, Edwards, was engraved on the iron gate. He hid in the shadow of a large tree as the gate slowly opened and a beautiful blond woman walked through it, her dark cloak bellowing around her.

"You cannot leave!" He heard an angry male voice say as it followed her out into the street. The man to whom the voice belonged was young, around 25 maybe, with dark hair. A second man with a limp followed slowly, obviously older, probably closer to 60, his light hair already going gray.

"I will not stay here and have the two of you decide my life for me. Three times was enough pain to bare and I will not suffer through it again. I do not think my body could handle it again, and I know my sanity could not." She yelled, turning like a swift cat to look at the two men. Klaus guessed the younger one was her husband, a gold ring shined on her hand, and the other was a father to one of them.

"It is your duty as a wife to provide for your husband." The older man spoke, talking down to her as if she was a child having a tantrum, not a woman fighting for her voice. That made Klaus believe it was her father, not the husband's.

"And it is his duty as my husband to respect the vows we said before God, but I do not see him listening, so why should I?" She fought back, and Klaus loved the strength and power she held.

He was sure he had never seen a more intriguing woman before. Women did not say things like this, especially not the ones of her high station. It made him feel very interested, wishing he could see what else this woman was passionate about.

"I am your husband and you will not speak to me like this!" The man yelled and ran up to her, backhanding her across the cheek before gripping her arm tightly, "Now, get back into that house and stay in your room. I will come to you later and you will be appreciative of me, is that understood?"

It took all of Klaus' resolve to stay hidden and remain out of the conflict; he wanted to snap the man's neck for daring to raise a hand to such a unique creature.

He watched as she slowly raised her head and looked at her husband, her words and voice were timid, "Of course Andrew, I do not know what came over me."

"You are grieving my dear. It is understandable to be upset after such horrible events as those you have suffered the past year." The elder man said, coming up so she could loop her hand around his elbow, "You will see daughter, everything will turn out right eventually, do not fear."

"Oh, I do not fear for anything Father." She answered sweetly.

Klaus wondered if she would kill the man tonight when he came to her bed chamber but did not think she was that kind of woman. Also, the thought of that man touching her at all made his skin crawl with jealousy and rage. The urge to protect her and make her his was running through him like a fox during a hunting party, fast and full out. He had not felt such strong feelings for a complete stranger in his entire life, but he didn't want to stop them once they had started.

He needed a plan and it would take time, but he also needed to keep that awful man from touching her again. It occurred to Klaus as he approached the door that he did not even know the name of the woman he was so enamored with, and let out a low chuckle at the thought as he rang the bell.

A manservant answered and was quickly dispatched to retrieve the man of the house, Andrew Edwards, for an important guest.

The man was clearly still upset and held a glass of liquor in his hand as he appeared in the doorway, "And you are?"

"Lord Niklaus Davies, I have come to tell you something of grave importance, may I come in?" He asked, keeping his voice low and conspiratorial.

"Of course my lord." Andrew said and stepped aside to allow him entrance, grimacing a bit when he saw the look on Klaus' face, "What is this about?"

"Only," He narrowed his eyes with Andrew's, keeping their gazes locked together, "You will never touch your wife again, not in anger or passion. You find that if you touch her that it pains you terribly, as if you were burned. And, you will forget that I was ever here."

"I am sorry sir, you are who again?" Andrew asked, his voice faded and his eyes gazed.

"No one of importance." Klaus answered with a smirk and, as an afterthought, asked, "What is your wife's name?"  
"Caroline." He replied, the compulsion still having a hold of him.

"Excellent." Klaus commented before disappearing into the darkness.

* * *

She kept ringing her hands in the skirt of her dress as she listened to the constant nagging brought on by her father and husband.

"Caroline, you cannot do this. You need to do your duties as a wife." Her father, Lord William Forbes, said his voice stern and forceful. Nearing 60, his light hair had started to turn grey but his blue eyes were as clear as ever. He was stern and held firm in his beliefs, but Caroline never doubted that her father loved her.

"I have done my duty as a wife, three times! You have no idea how painful it is and I will not go through that pain again!" She yelled jumping to her feet and staring definitely at her father and husband.

"You will not speak to me like this!" Andrew yelled back, taking a step toward her, but she knew he would not dare touch her with her father present. Andrew had dark hair and brown, non-interesting eyes. His father had died two years earlier, leaving him the Lord Edwards, and giving him many expectations to fulfill. Andrew had two younger brothers, both married and with children. Children was what they were fighting about, children was what they were always fighting about. "You will give me a son!"

"I have already given you one! It is not my fault that he…." Caroline started to respond but felt the tears start to flood her eyes. She turned and ran out of the room, heading straight to the front door, quickly grabbing her cloak has she ran by. She needed fresh air, she needed to get away from the two men that demanded too much of her.

Caroline did not bother to close the door behind her, she knew that they would follow, neither ever really listened to her wishes. She made it just outside the gate of the estate when she heard the door slam and heard her husband's angry voice, "You cannot leave!"

"I will not stay here and have the two of you decide my life for me. Three times was enough pain to bare and I will not suffer through it again. I do not think my body could handle it again, and I know my sanity could not." She yelled, turning swiftly to look at the two men standing behind her.

"It is your duty as a wife to provide for your husband." Her father spoke, talking to her like he had when she younger, throwing unnecessary tantrums because of a toy or some other such thing. It made her even angrier than she was already.

"And it is his duty as my husband to respect the vows we said before God, but I do not see him listening, so why should I?" She fought back, glaring at her husband with unshielded eyes displaying her rage. Letting him know that she knew all about his little affairs.

"I am your husband and you will not speak to me like this!" Andrew yelled and ran up to her, backhanding her across the cheek before gripping her arm tightly, she was sure there would be bruises, "Now, get back into that house and stay in your room. I will come to you later and you will be appreciative of me, is that understood?"

Caroline slowly raised her head and looked at her husband, her eyes holding all the previous anger plus some more, but also the shock from the hit, she had been sure that her father's presence would have prevented it. Caroline knew what to say to calm him down, so in a voice that seemed weakened and apologetic she said, "Of course Andrew, I do not know what came over me."

"You are grieving my dear. It is understandable to be upset after such horrible events as those you have suffered the past year." Her father said, coming up to loop her hand around his elbow, giving the hand a sweet squeeze as she did, "You will see daughter, everything will turn out right eventually, do not fear."

"I do not fear for anything Father." She answered sweetly, her eyes glaring at the back of her husband's head as they walked slowly back into the grand house. She was debating using that knife under her mattress if he came to visit her tonight.


	2. Not So Chance Encounters

Caroline was surprised when she awoke the next morning, Andrew had strictly told her that he would join her in her bed last night. She had fallen asleep while waiting for him but he had never come. She was so happy that he had not visited to her; maybe it meant he was finally willing to listen to her. A sting on her cheek as she smiled reminded her that Andrew did not compromise, he took what he wanted or at least what he thought he wanted.

Caroline swung her legs over the edge of the bed and walked over to her vanity. The mark on her cheek was a light purple shade and was much more prominent than she thought it would be. _I must have made him very angry last night_ , she thought as she ran her fingers over it lightly. _That should have made him even more determined to prove himself as a husband, not make him leave me alone_ , she considered, slipping out of her night dress and pulling on her undergarments.

A light knock on the door informed her of a visitor, "Come in Jane." She called sweetly and smiled at a red haired woman as she entered. She was 5'7, slim, and older than Caroline by nearly 5 years.

"How are you today m'lady?" She asked, not looking Caroline in the eye. Jane had been Caroline's handmaid since her marriage to Andrew began. Seven years together made the mornings and evenings run very smoothly.

"Much better than I expected." Caroline answered, raising her arms as Jane pulled the shift over her head.

"What color do you wish to wear today?" Jane asked, walking over to the large wardrobe.

"Yellow, I am in a good mood today." Caroline answered, a slightly painful smile spread on her face. She turned to look at Jane, who gasped at seeing her cheek, but didn't say a word about it.

"There was an invitation delivered this morning." Jane informed her and took the parchment out of a pocket in her dress.

Caroline opened it happily, the seal was one she knew well, "The Davies are throwing a ball in three days to celebrate the Lady Rebekah's birthday."

"I should get to work on the dress. What color are you thinking?" Jane inquired, pulling a yellow gown from the wardrobe.

"Black, I should keep up the color of mourning in such large events." Caroline answered, she was still in mourning in her heart and didn't wish to give a bad impression to society.

"I will get started immediately." Jane said as she pulled the yellow dress over Caroline's head and started tying up the strings.

Caroline did not respond right away, she was just a rush of different emotions today and could not shake the feeling that something was going to happen, something that would change everything.

* * *

Three days later Klaus watched the great double doors to his mansion with impatient eyes. It had been easy to convince his sister and brothers to throw a party, it was nearly Rebekah's birthday after all and she deserved to be shown off. None of them had even thought of the possibility that this was all to give him a chance to seduce one remarkable woman, Caroline Edwards.

He had a plan and it was one of the most complex things he had ever come up with, and all to be with a woman. With an open invitation to the house, he was not worried about her husband at all, if needed he would simply kill the stupid man. Klaus was actually hoping it would come to that.

His eyes stilled as he heard them announced, "Lord and Lady Andrew Edwards. Lord and Lady William Forbes." His piercing blue orbs found her right away and he marveled at her beauty. Her blond locks were left to freely flow around her shoulders. Her black dress hugged her body in all the right places and the new fashion statement, the corset, only made her body more desirable. The only woman that could hold a candle to her beauty would be his sister and if Caroline had had her resources, Klaus was sure there would have been no competition at all.

She walked with the grace of someone born into money, which she was, but her eyes did not seem as posed as her body. She looked sideways at her husband, as if trying to figure out a riddle, but quickly looked away. A true smile came to her face when she spotted Rebekah walking towards them, which caused Klaus to grow confused. He listened intently to their words as Caroline exacted herself from her husband and parents.

"Caroline, I am so glad you could make it." Rebekah said, leaning in and kissing the girl on both cheeks.

"I could not miss the party of Rebekah Davies, how would I look to society then?" Caroline teased as their arms linked together.

"Oh, I do not think you would care." Rebekah answered, a content smile on her face, and that surprised Klaus even further.

"You are probably right there." Caroline replied as they started walking around the room, actually getting closer to his position on the stairway, "I am sorry I have not been so social as of late."

"After the loss you suffered it is completely understandable my friend." Rebekah assured her, "I was busy as well, there was a party to plan."

Klaus was more confused with each passing sentence. He did not think that Rebekah had any friends, especially not a human one, and they must be at least somewhat close to talk in such a familiar way.

"Yes, stranger still something happened earlier in the week…." She paused and looked around before saying, "But we should not speak of it here, too many ears."

"You are not wrong there." Rebekah agreed and then smirked up at Klaus, who was now only about ten feet away, "Allow me to introduce you to one of them. Lady Caroline Edwards, this is my brother, the Lord Niklaus Davies."

"A pleasure my lord." She said placing her hand in his and giving a perfect curtsy once he had come to join them.

"Oh, I am sure the pleasure is all mine my lady." He greeted, pulling her to her feet and giving a long lingering kiss to the back of her hand. Klaus was pleased to see a slight blush cross her cheeks, but Rebekah rudely interrupted the moment.

"Do not get ahead of yourself Nik, Caroline is a married woman." Rebekah teased and pulled Caroline away, back into the crowd and away from him.

"I do like a challenge dear sister." He said, and he knew from the look she glared at him, that she heard it loud and clear.

* * *

Caroline couldn't help glance at the Lord Niklaus every now and then, his eyes seemed to train on her and it was a bit of surprise, no one ever looked at her in such ways.

"Bekah, why does your brother keep watching me? Am I doing something wrong?" She asked her friend, doing her best to avoid going toward the area where her husband was socializing and drinking.

"Just ignore him Care, he likes looking at pretty things. Even ones he knows he can't have." Rebekah said, sending a glare at her brother, a not uncommon occurrence Caroline had noticed.

"Well, thank you for that round about compliment at least." Caroline replied with a laugh, and she finished off her glass, "I am going to get another refreshment, care to join me?"

"I would love to but I think I have to dance with a few of these young men. After all, this party is in my honor." Rebekah said, smirking as she accepted a dance offer from the son of duke.

Caroline had made it about seven feet when a voice behind her said, "May I have this dance?"

She turned around slowly, and said with a smile, "I guess you may my lord."

She placed her hand in his and he spun them onto the dance floor. His hand gracefully fell onto her waist and they moved with prefect unison to the music.

"Are you enjoying the party?" He asked, his voice low but inviting.

"Yes, it is the best I have been to in a long time my lord." Caroline answered, smiling at him as they danced.

"You and my sister seem to be rather close, I wonder why it is I have never heard her mention you before." He said, wondering if she would share with him what he was sure his sister would not.

"That would be a question for your sister." Caroline promptly answered, trying to not let her racing heart take control of her. His eyes were so inviting and the feeling of his hand on her waist was giving her butterflies.

"Do I make you nervous my lady?" He asked, his voice laced with a teasing tone.

"Which answer would please you more my lord? I have noticed your eyes following me all night, and I cannot put my finger on the reason why. I am a married woman and I do not take others into my bed. So if all you wish is to have my body, this dance will be the closest you shall ever come to it." Caroline told him, her voice full of conviction.

"You are a very unexpected, yet intriguing woman Lady Caroline. I can see why my sister wishes to keep you to herself." Klaus responded, and pulled away so he could bow as the song ended.

Caroline curtsied in return and as she stood back up said, "Thank you for the dance my lord. I very much enjoyed it." She winked at him before walking away, she tried to get her breathing under control but all she could think about was his eyes looking into hers.

* * *

Late that evening, or early that morning, as the last of the guests were leaving Rebekah stormed up to her brother, "Please do not do what I think you are going to do."

"Do tell me what you think I am planning to do dear sister." Klaus inquired, smirking at her outrage.

"Leave Caroline alone, she is much too sweet to be brought in and destroyed by our way of life." Rebekah explained, "And do not try to deny it, I saw the way you looked at her and danced with her. The latter of which did not go unnoticed by her husband, who is not an understanding man."

"I have already taken action against that fool." Klaus informed her, barely containing his anger, "How is it that you know the Lady Caroline? I have never heard you mention her and you two seemed very close."

"There are some aspects of my life that I wish to keep private from you Nik, and my relationship with Caroline is one of them. She is my dearest friend, the only one I have ever really had in almost three centuries of life. Do not take her away from me to satisfy some selfish need of yours." Rebekah demanded, her voice laced with fear that he would do just that.

"Selfish need of mine? Is not keeping her to yourself also selfish? Why not share sister?" Klaus teased, already knowing the answer.

"We do not share well Nik, neither of us do. I am asking you, please, do not do anything to harm Caroline. She lost a great deal in the plague that raged earlier in the year, she doesn't need any more pain. I want you to promise me that you will not harm her Nik." Rebekah said, half pleading, half demanding.

"I will not hurt your friend Bekah, you have my word." He told her and kissed the top of her head before walking back into the house.

 _Why would I ever hurt such a stunning creature? Rebekah thinks so little of me at times, and I am sure Elijah and Kol are the same way._ He huffed at his thoughts, they always brought about bad moods. He just wanted his family to love him, like he felt he deserved, but that was never going to happen, he could see that now. No, if he wanted a family, he would need to make one, and he a good idea as to where to start.

* * *

Klaus knew that what he was doing was completely wrong, he should not be standing over her sleeping form, wishing to wake her and make her his in every sense of the word. He did not think she would approve of his presence though. She had very much enjoyed their dance, he could hear it in her heartbeat and the carefree smile that had graced her face. Her words had been respectful but teasing at the same time. He could tell that she had no desire to disrespect her honor by slipping into bed with him though.

Klaus stilled as she let out a pleased sigh and rolled onto her other side, now facing him and her loose blond hair covering her cheek. He gently pushed it aside, allowing him a full view of peaceful and beautiful features. His curiosity got the best of him, and he slipped inside her dream. He was pleasantly surprised that it was him she was dreaming about, and couldn't help but a change a few of the minor details.

A sharp noise as someone ran into the wall woke him from his trance and reminded him of his true purpose here tonight. A quiet voice followed the sound, "M'lord, please, allow me to assist you to bed." Klaus recognized it as the voice of the butler that opened the door for him a few days earlier.

"I do not need your assist…assist…help George!" Andrew yelled and ran into another object, "Go away!"

Klaus heard the receding footsteps of the butler as Andrew's grew closer and stopped outside the door to Caroline's chambers. A moment passed and Klaus waited on the other side of the door but Andrew's footsteps started again and he heard a door open further down the hall. Klaus smirked as he left Caroline's bedroom and slowly stalked to the door still open from where his prey had entered.

He had it all planned perfectly, an accident would befall Andrew Edwards, named for his father, and a poor excuse of a lord and husband he was. Andrew being drunk did nothing to hinder his plans, in fact, it made it all so much easier. The butler would confirm that Andrew had too much to drink and could not get to his room without running into things. Klaus regretted that he could not just tare Andrew limb from limb but that would not allow his plan to be set in motion.

"Hello Andrew." Klaus said, his voice low and menacing, the smirk still firmly on his lips.

"Lord Niklaus?" Andrew stuttered after a stumbled turn to look at the man that addressed him from the doorway. They had met briefly at the party earlier.

"Nothing personal mate, you just have something I want." Klaus said slowly, closing the door behind him and walking at a steady pace toward Andrew, making sure that his eyes started to take on their true appearance.

"I….you can have it…..whatever it is…just leave." Andrew replied, taking a step back with each word until running into the window frame.

"You do not even care what it is? Take a guess." Klaus commanded, stepping closer with a predatory pace.

"I….my money." He guessed, his heartbeat pounding in his ears.

"So very wrong, mate. I want the most beautiful thing you have in your possession, though it is not really yours, as she belongs to herself." Klaus told him, now only a few feet away.

"What?" Andrew asked, his voice suddenly returned at the anger he felt for the woman in question, "You mean my wife? That is what you are after? That pain in my side is worth nothing, certainty not this amount of trouble at least." Andrew stumbled again and then said, "I remember you from the ball, my lord. You were getting much too friendly with her."

"You should be much more appreciative of what you have, I know I will be when she is mine." Klaus informed him and was now only a few inches away, his teeth itching to destroy the man's neck.

Andrew's blood was pumping so gloriously beneath the surface and he dug his teeth in, enjoying the feel of the blood as it flowed into his mouth. He drank until he could feel Andrew's pulse weaken and the man start to go limp. Klaus pulled away and Andrew slumped to the ground, holding his neck weakly.

"Unfortunately, I cannot just let you bleed to death slowly." Klaus whispered and grabbed Andrew's head forcing him to his feet before thrusting it into the banister on the bed. He allowed Andrew to limply fall to the floor, pleased that he had killed the man. He sighed as he saw the punctures on the side of Andrew's neck but figured no one would notice those or at least no one would question them.

He stopped himself from walking back into Caroline's room, the weakness he felt around her was confusing and at times frustrating. He smirked again at the thought of the dead man a few rooms away and could not wait until the sleeping woman on the other side of the door was sleeping in his bed.


	3. A Different Day Begins

Caroline awoke to a scream, and that scream was not the last one. She jumped up from the bed, throwing on a robe over her sleeping gown. The door to her room seemed heavier as she pulled it open, somehow, she knew what she was going to find. Caroline slowly made her way down the hall, approaching the open and crowded doorway to her husband's bedchamber.

"George, what is going on?" She asked, her voice slow but firm.

"M'lady….I think you should…" He started to say, over the wrecked form of Lucy, one of the maids.

"I will not go back to bed George. Get out of my way if you will not answer me." She commanded and stepped through the door.

Caroline stopped as she saw the crumpled body of her husband on the floor, there was a large, bloody wound on the side of his head. She could see a matching blood mark on the edge of one of the banisters. She hid the small smile that spread on her lips with a hand, hoping that George would see it as her chocking back a sob. Caroline knelt down next to the body that was once her husband, and brushed the hair off of his face. She noticed tiny marks on his neck, there were little drops of blood around the wound, she decided that there was nothing important about them.

"I hope you rot in hell, you bastard." She whispered into his dead ear, quiet enough so that the two standing in the door could not hear her.

Caroline got to her feet slowly and needed every ounce of her self-control to keep the grin she felt from her lips. She forced tears to come to her eyes and turned back to the doorway, "Has anyone been sent to Colin, John, or my father yet?"

"No….m'lady….I will get on it right away." George stuttered, hurrying off down the hall, hopefully to send servants to Andrew's brothers and her father.

"Lucy, you take the rest of the day off." Caroline told the barely standing girl in front of her, "Please, go home."

"Yes, m'lady. Thank you." She whispered and hurried away in the same direction as George.

Caroline looked back briefly at the body on the floor and then walked gracefully back to her room. The smile on her face could have lit up the darkest hallway, _I am finally free. I cannot wait to tell Rebekah_.

* * *

Caroline played the grieving widow perfectly as members of Andrew's family, her own, and others walked through her house. All offered condolences and assurances that her life would go on. She whispered thanks and all the necessary pleasantries. Andrew had been dead almost two days and she had still not heard from Rebekah, the person she most wanted to see. With the open wake going on today, Caroline knew that Rebekah and at least one of her brothers would attend. Social standing manners required it and Caroline hoped that she hadn't underestimated her relationship with Rebekah.

"Caroline, how are you holding up?" A voice said, shaking her from her thoughts on her absent friend.

"As well as can be expected Victoria." Caroline replied and turned to look at her step-mother, only five years older than herself. She had dark, full hair and green, suspicious eyes. Caroline had never been a person to openly hate another person, but her step-mother was probably an exception. Caroline lowered her voice, "Are you enjoying my misfortune?"

Victoria let a playful smirk flit across her features before she put on her mask and said, "I would never be happy at your misfortune dear daughter."

Before she could respond, Caroline heard someone comment, "Yes, it is a shame when such a horrible accident takes someone so young." Her head snapped up instantly at the familiar voice. She saw the blonde and her eldest brother standing near Andrew's brother and mother. Rebekah locked eyes with her and gave her a reassuring smile before nodding her departs to those around her and walked swiftly to Caroline's side, glaring at a disapproving Victoria before pulling Caroline into an embrace and saying, "How about you and I go somewhere a bit more private my darling?"

"I would like that." Caroline whispered and slowly walked toward the stairs and her chambers, nodding and saying her thanks and goodbyes to everyone she passed.

Rebekah did not say a word until they entered the privacy of Caroline's sitting room. Caroline shut the door and Rebekah said, "How are you holding up?"

"Oh, you know, it is all just so…" Caroline started to say, letting a smile start to form on her features.

"Wonderful?" Rebekah suggested as she interrupted her friend, the smile strong on her beautiful face.

"Yes, and surprising and confusing at the same time." Caroline admitted, sitting in a chair near the fireplace, "I just never expected this to happen. I am free Bekah, completely free from a marriage and a husband I wanted no part of. But it is also hard pretending to be grieving for a man I am more than happy is dead and out of my life."

"You only need to pretend for a little while longer. I am sure you will be moving back into your father's mansion soon." Rebekah said, sitting relaxed in the chair next to Caroline, "Then you and I can enjoy the non-married life together."

Caroline laughed at the excited look on Rebekah's face but her joy dropped quickly, "No, I will not be allowed to stay a widow for long, my stepmother will never allow it. I will be married again in six months, it is practically a guarantee."

"I do hope you are wrong." Rebekah commented, her face suddenly very serious. She also started to look around the room, as if trying to place something, and said, "What if your new husband hates me just as much as the last one?"

"Well, you have three single brothers, maybe one of them wants a washed up widow." Caroline joked, looking at the low fire, not noticing the look Rebekah got on her face.

* * *

Rebekah was unusually silent as she ate dinner that same night with her brothers, her mind was running wild. She could see how happy Caroline was to be free of Andrew, a man that Rebekah had never liked when she had interactions with him. Plus the stories that she had gotten from Caroline were not things that left good impressions.

Kol was the first to notice the distance his sister was keeping, "What is wrong with you tonight Bekah?"

"Excuse me?" She asked, her eyes drifting to her brother immediately.

"I cannot remember the last time you sat through a meal without saying a word." Kol commented, taking a bite out of the venison on his plate.

"I am thinking about my friend, she has had a difficult few days." Rebekah replied, glaring at her brother.

"A friend that none of us even knew you had before your party a few days ago." Kol pointed out, "Why all the secrecy?"

"Maybe it has to do with the last time I introduced a woman to this family." Rebekah answered, and Kol deflated a bit under her gaze.

"I apologized for that." Kol said, taking a long drink before saying, "Are you ever going to let that go?"

"Probably not, I liked that girl, but so did you, so you bedded her, and then killed her." Rebekah replied, "You will need at least another century to make it up to me."

Klaus was chuckling behind his own glass, and had not meant for it to draw attention on himself for the action.

"Stay away from her Nik." Rebekah told him, her glare sincere and threatening.

"I already told you that I have no intention of harming your friend. Why is that so hard to believe?" Klaus asked, carefully setting his own glass down on the table.

"I am not an idiot. Do you think that I did not smell your lingering scent in Caroline's bedroom this afternoon?" Rebekah asked, and then lowered her anger, "Did you kill Andrew?"

Klaus looked at her with surprise, "What possible reason could I have to kill him?"

"You want Caroline. She is a proper, respectful woman though. She would not jump into another man's bed while her husband, no matter how abusive, was still alive. This frees her up, allowing you to try and seduce her." Rebekah explained, she had been thinking about it ever since she had smelt Nik in Caroline's room, and Caroline had made that off-handed comment about single brothers.

"I think you are giving me a lot of devious credit here little sister." Klaus commented, but he could see how the wheels were turning in Elijah's head, while Kol just looked like he had been left out of the loop.

"We both know it is as not as much of a stretch as you are trying to get us to believe." Rebekah replied, "Have you ever even talked to her?"

"I had a nice little chat with her the night of your party." Klaus admitted, and refused to let his sister's stare get the better of him.

"You don't know anything about her Nik. I suggest you learn a few things before you go through with whatever plan you have running wild in your head." Rebekah told him before getting to her feet and rushing from the room.

Kol followed his sister with his eyes, before looking between his brothers, "What is going on?"

"Our sister seems to under the impression that Niklaus is….after her friend Caroline, and killed her husband to get to her." Elijah supplied, and gave Niklaus a look, "Is she correct?"

"What concern of yours is it whether or not it is true?" Klaus asked his elder brother, finishing off his glass as he did.

Elijah let out a sigh, "We do not to be drawing any attention to ourselves. It is why we use a false surname, and do not kill within the mansion walls. I don't want this to add to our problems."

"Relax Elijah. I know what I am doing, and it will not draw him to us." Klaus said and rose from his chair, "I am just having a little fun brother."

"I wish you would find it with someone else. Be careful Niklaus, you know how stubborn and protective Rebekah can be." Elijah warned him, and looked to Kol who let lose a slight cringe as he remembered some of his sister's wrath.

"You all have such little faith in me." Klaus replied and then walked from the dining room.

Klaus' thoughts were focused on Caroline has he headed to his chambers. Rebekah was right in one sense, he did not know very much about the object of his affection. He smirked, he was sure that could easily be rectified.

* * *

Caroline sat quietly in the courtyard of her father's estate, her black gown making her hot in the sun. Andrew had been dead for four days and she had still not shed a tear for the loss.

"Lady Caroline, you have a visitor." The butler announced from the doorway.

"Who is it Robert?" She asked, turning to look at the man, he had been butler for her family for her entire life, plus some. He was shorter than most men, and though he was over sixty, he kept his body in good health.

"Lord Niklaus Davies." Robert responded, the lack of respect for the guest clear in his voice.

"See him in please." Caroline said, standing and straightening her dress.

She watched the door carefully as Robert showed in her guest. He was dressed in a simple, well-tailored tunic, vest and riding pants. The sight of him made her smile and she did her best to hide her extreme pleasure at seeing him. "You can return to your duties Robert." She told the butler as the remained standing near the entrance to the backyard as the Lord continued walking toward her.

"My lady, I am so sorry for your loss." Klaus said, taking her hand in his and kissing her knuckles. The twinkle in his deep blue eyes made her question the sincerity of the words.

"Thank you my lord." She replied and curtsied, "Would you like to sit?"

"After you." He indicated and carefully sat next to her, not wanting to touch her without permission, "How are you holding up?"

"Better than I would expect." She answered, taking a deep breath, "I thought that if I was to lose Andrew that I would find myself completely alone and go into a depression like I had when my children died. But, instead, I feel like I am finally free, like a giant weight has been lifted off of my chest." She was shocked she would share something so personal with him, but she trusted Rebekah and she knew Niklaus was her favorite brother, and had mentioned him often over the past few months.

"You had children?" Klaus asked, not knowing this little bit of information about her. Rebekah had told him that she and Caroline had meet after Caroline had suffered a great loss during the plague earlier in the year, but he never thought of children.

"Two, almost three." She answered, her voice becoming choked up and she looked away from his eyes, her hand unconsciously going to rest on her stomach.

"You do not have to discuss it with me, I should not pry into your life." He said, the sincerity in his words surprising him, since he desperately wanted to know everything about her.

"You do not pry my lord. I brought it up. Would you really like to know what happened to make me the woman you know? But I warn you, my life is not a happy story and it might make you think of me differently." She asked, her blue eyes locking with his own, the tears threatening to fall doing nothing to distort her beauty.

"Only tell me if you want me to know love." He whispered and took one of her delicate hands in his larger ones, as a show of comfort.

Caroline smiled at his kindness, she was unsure if she should share her life story with a stranger, but she so badly wanted to talk to someone. So she began, "I married Andrew when I was barely fifteen, an arrangement made by my father. I did not love him, I had only meet him a few times before the wedding. As the first year of our marriage progressed he was kind to me and told me he loved me, I believed him and over time fell for him. I become pregnant a little before my sixteenth birthday and we were so overjoyed. When Mary was born, it was the happiest day of my life. Andrew was not the same though. He was upset that she was not a boy. His father, Andrew Sr., assured Andrew that it was not something to be upset about. We were both still so young and one child was not all we should have. When Mary was about 5 months old, I become pregnant again. I was sure that this pregnancy would bring our marriage back to what it was before Mary's birth, and I was not wrong." Caroline paused, and took a deep breath, Klaus squeezed her hand in support, and she continued, "A few days after Mary's first birthday, I went into labor. I knew it was too early and I was deeply afraid. Andrew had left the day before to go on a hunting trip with his father, brothers, and uncles. The baby came, and he was stillborn. It was heart wrenching to see that too small, breathless body. I did not have anyone to comfort me, my mother had died when I was ten and I had no close women friends. So I huddled in my room, holding Mary to me desperately for three days. I knew Andrew would be angry, and he was. He blamed me for the death of our son, that was the first time he ever hit me. And, at the young age of 18, my life was more confusing than I ever could have imagined." She paused again, looking to see the reaction Klaus was having to her story but she couldn't read his expression.

"It took me over a year to get pregnant again, partially because I did not want him to ever touch me but I was persuaded into it. I was extra careful during that time, I did not want to experience that loss again. My little Andrew was born right on time, and was perfectly healthy. I had never seen my husband so happy and the feeling was contagious. A few months later and I was a 21 year old mother of two, with a loving, devoted husband. I could not have been happier. A little after my 22nd birthday, I discovered I was pregnant again." She smiled at the thought, and then it dropped, "But that was the last truly happy moment I had in my marriage. Two months later, the plague hit town. As I am sure you remember, so many people got sick, so many people died. My son got sick very early on, he was too young, barely a year old. My father-in-law followed my son into the afterlife not much later. It was not too long before almost the entire household was sick. The sickness attacked me quickly. I think that my condition and the loss of my son left me an easy victim. On the third day of my sickness, I awoke to an awful pain in my stomach and blood had flooded my legs. I knew I had lost the baby before I was ever told by the midwife. I was too delirious to hear what Andrew yelled at me after that, but I knew he was blaming me for the disease that stole our son and the unborn child in my belly. I slept for four days after that but when I awoke, the fever had broken and I was told that I would survive, but I was also told that Mary had become ill. I forced them to take me to her room, and I did not leave her side as the disease slowly stole my last child from me. On the day Mary died, I swore to the heavens that I would never again have a child. The world is too cruel and I could not handle that sort of loss ever again and hope to survive."

"I am so sorry." Klaus whispered after he was sure she was not going to continue, "I had no idea you had suffered so much in your young life."

"Not many know the full extent." She whispered in return, wiping the tears from her cheeks, "And many are even more surprised that I am still a functioning woman."

"You are much stronger than those fools give you credit for." He assured her, squeezing the hand he held even tighter.

"It took me many months to completely overcome the sickness, not only from the plague, but from the grief that controlled my heart. I did not leave my bedroom for months after the deaths of my children. I think I was waiting for death to claim me as well, I thought seriously about killing myself a few times. I even went as far to pick up a knife and place the blade at my wrist, but I could not cut. Andrew ignored me for that time I spent in my room, locked away from the world, and even for a few months when I finally left it." She explained, a strange smile on her face, "The first time he entered my bed chamber after the death of our children, nearly six months later, he was so drunk he could barely walk. I got a heavy beating that night, I refused to let him have my body and he must have also realized that he lost my heart."

"I find it hard to believe that anyone would ever lay a hurtful hand on you, or any woman that had been though what you have experienced." He said, his voice full of a hidden rage and he was glad that he had killed the man.

"My husband was a singular man and that is not said with respect. I was however able to keep him out of my bed successfully since the death of our children." She said with a smirk, proud at the accomplishment.

"Only a confident woman can admit to such a thing." Klaus said with respect.

"I was not always that way, but my experiences over the last year have changed me. And only your sister seems to appreciate it." Caroline said, smiling at the mention of Rebekah.

"I would not say that love." He said and noticed a pleasant blush appear on her cheeks, "How did you meet my dear sister? She has never mentioned it to me, and what I have been able to pry out her is not much."

"I was shopping with my maid in the lower town and so was your sister. She and I both grabbed for the same fabric at the same time." Caroline's eyes were all sparkles again, no longer crowded with tears, "She and I fought over it for a while and then decided to have some tea together. We have talked weekly ever since."

"Really, you had a fight with my sister and that turned into a friendship?" He asked and felt like his face showed the shock in his voice.

"Yes." She said with a laugh, "Is that so hard to believe?"

"Very hard to believe. I have known Rebekah her entire life and never once have I heard of a fight with her over something she wanted and end with a friendship instead of bloodshed." Klaus said with a smile of his own on his lips.

"Your sister is something else." Caroline responded and Klaus could tell that she meant it as a compliment.

"That she is." Klaus agreed, watching Caroline's features carefully.

She looked him straight in the eyes and her face indicated that she was looking for something. She smiled and blushed a few more times before letting out a small giggle and asking, "Why are you here my lord?"

The question caught Klaus completely off guard, and he decided to take an honest view on his dealings with this woman, "I fancy you."

Caroline flinched in response to that, not expecting that to be his answer, "Why would you fancy me?"

"Your strong, beautiful, and have a fire that I find so enticing. I just cannot seem to keep you off my mind, have not been able to since the first moment I saw you." He confessed and hoped that he had not said too much.

"When was that moment my lord?" She questioned, leaning into him more than she had been before.

He paused not sure if he could keep up the honesty with this question, so he chose to lie, "When you walked through the door to my mansion the night of Rebekah's party. You were absolutely breathtaking in that moment. I did not even care that standing next to you was your husband, it was rather improper of me."

"Yes, it was, but can I tell you a little secret?" She asked, moving so now their thighs were touching through their clothing.

"Have you not been telling me your secrets all afternoon already love?" He teased, brushing a fallen lock of her hair behind her ear.

"I suppose I have." She agreed and let out a tiny laugh, "I found myself inappropriately attracted to you myself that evening. There was something about the way that you presented yourself that I found…"

Caroline did not get to finish her sentence as he closed the distance between them, laying his lips on hers gently, not pressing for anything more. When he pulled away, Caroline felt her breath hitch, and come back uneven. Her eyes were still closed but she smiled at the thought of the contact.

"I apologize, I should not…" He started to say but was stopped when she placed a finger on his lips.

"Do not apologize for anything my lord, you did nothing I was not encouraging." She assured him and placed a gentle kiss of her own on his lips. When she pulled away, she said, "It is getting late my lord."

"Yes, that it is my lady." He agreed and got to his feet, holding out his hand for her, "And please, when we are in private like this, call me Klaus."

She did not respond with words, only a smile, and Klaus was sure this was a new memory to be seared on him forever as he placed a goodbye kiss on the back of her hand. He couldn't wait to see what the future was going to bring if this woman was in his life.


	4. Plans to Gain a Sister

Caroline awoke the next morning feeling better than she had in years and she knew it had to with her meeting with Klaus in the garden yesterday. _Or_ , she thought, _maybe it something to do with the dream I had a few nights ago, that was on repeat last night and will hopefully remain on repeat_.

She thought of the dream with a smile on her face as she took a morning bath…

" _May I have this dance my lady?" A husky voice whispered in her ear._

" _Always my lord." She whispered back and allowed him to spin her around. His hands found her waist and her's wrapped around his neck._

_Caroline noticed that she was wearing the gown from Rebekah's party and he was wearing the same outfit as well, "I wish this could last forever."_

" _As much as I love this feeling sweetheart, if a moment was going to last forever, I have a few others I would like to try." He whispered back seductively and his hands brought her body flush to his._

" _Such a wicked mind you possess my lord." She teased and curled her fingers into his hair, bringing their faces closer together, "Should we see if my mind can match yours?"_

_The look of shock on his face intrigued her more and she nipped at his bottom lip, careful not to kiss him fully._

" _Yes, I do believe we should." He said, his voice deep and laced with lust and he swept her off her feet._

_She kissed him fully as he carried her and was surprised by the feeling as he lowered her onto to something soft, the most glorious bed she had ever experienced. "Where did this come from?" Caroline giggled as he kissed down her neck._

" _Does it matter?" He asked before finding her lips again, she shook her head against his lips._

_Klaus' hands roamed her sides, slowly traveling up and down her waist, he pulled away slightly, "We need to get you out of this dress love."_

" _Then why are your fingers not working on it?" She whispered, and started to roll over so he could get to the strings that laced up her back._

_Klaus stalled her, keeping her back to the bed, "I have a faster way sweetheart." She looked at him confused but then felt his hand cup the top of her dress above her breasts and watched as he ripped the dress in half, exposing her completely. He then gripped her around the waist, making sure to be in contact with her bare skin and threw the now ruined dress into the void that surrounded them._

_Caroline moaned in pleasure as his hands and lips explored her naked body. Her hands tugged at his clothes, and realized the unfairness of this situation, "I think it is time to get you out your clothes sir."_

" _As you wish love." He smirked and his clothes were gone in what seemed like a blink of the eye._

_Caroline bit her bottom lip in lust as she looked at his naked body, her heart rate increasing at the thoughts of what his body could do to her own._

" _Like what you see?" He asked, his voice and fingers teasing her._

" _Very, but I would much rather feel you, than see you." She teased in return and hooked her arm around his neck, pressing their bodies together, "It is rude to keep a lady waiting."_

" _That it is and I would hate to be rude." He replied and slowing pressed himself into her, watching her face as she moaned in pleasure._

_All words left her mind as their bodies continued to move with each other, the tempo slowly increasing and their breathing becoming rougher. Caroline felt her fingers digging deeper into his back as her insides began to clench and she could feel herself approaching the edge, "Faster, faster." She urged and dug her nails even deeper, not caring if she left marks._

_She was surprised to feel the nip of his teeth at her neck, and the sharpness of them, but she did not care, all she could think of was the feeling he was wringing from her body. She felt Klaus pick up the pace even more than he had at her words and could tell he was reaching his own release. Caroline moaned his name and felt his teeth break her skin as she clenched all around him and fell of the edge of her passion. He followed her soon after and her nails kept making new marks along his back as he thrust into her a few more times before slowly stopping._

" _I do not think I have never enjoyed myself so much." He whispered into her hair as he rolled onto his back and pulled her to his side._

" _Neither have I." She sighed, trying to get her ragged breathing under control and went to place her head on_ …

The door to the bathing room opened and in walked a sour-faced, brunette maid, carrying her clothes for the day, "Pardon the interruption m'lady, but you have a guest."

"Who is it Anne?" Caroline asked, slowly getting out of the still warm water and reaching for her robe.

"Lady Davies, she insists it is urgent." Anne said, laying the dress on a bench, her voice indicating her disapproval at the guest.

"Send her up then." Caroline said, drying off as she spoke.

"But you are not dressed?" The maid said in shock, holding the undergarments in her hands.

"The Lady Rebekah will not care at my state of undress, now do as you are told." Caroline was not usually so snappy at her servants but she did not trust the maid her stepmother had provided for her. She grabbed the clothes Anne held, and waited until she had left before she began to dress in the underclothes.

Caroline slowly brushed out her curls at the vanity while she waited for Rebekah to travel the length from the foyer to her room. The door opened behind her and she heard Rebekah sigh as it closed behind her again, "I dislike this new maid of yours, can you get the old one back?"

"She is in service to my husband's family, so she must remain with them." Caroline said, her voice resigned to her loss, "But I am sure my maid was not the reason you came here so early and claiming of urgency."

"Of course not." Rebekah said and sat down nervously in a chair Caroline had set up near her vanity.

"And, your visit is because of what?" Caroline insisted again, she had never seen her friend behave like this.

"My brother." She answered and looked Caroline squarely in her eyes, watching for any variation in her features.

"Which one? You have many." Caroline teased, trying to calm her wayward heartbeat, thankful that the younger girl could not hear it.

"You know which one." She replied, her voice firm, "For your safety Caroline, you should stay far away from my brother. We….he….you do not know what our life truly is and I do not want you to have to live with it. I care for you too greatly."

"Bekah, I do not know what you think is going on between Niklaus and I, but I can assure you…." Caroline started to say, not sure that she wanted to lie to her closest friend, but also not sure she knew what Klaus would want said.

"Do not lie to me Caroline. I have not seen my brother behave like this in a long time and I know he came to see you yesterday afternoon." She interrupted, her tone strict, and sighed before adding, "How do you feel about my brother?"

"I have not known your brother long enough to…."

"How does he make you feel?" Rebekah asked instead, cutting off Caroline again.

Caroline looked down at the brush in her hand, turning it over and over before looking at Rebekah and saying, "He makes me feel like I am the only woman in the world in his eyes. He treats me with a respect that Andrew never did. He is also interested in what I have to say not only what I can do for him. I do not deny that am also….physically attracted to him and I am sure he is to me as well. I told him everything Rebekah and he did not run away. How many men are there in the world that would want anything to do with a 23 year old widow, with three dead children, and no desire to have anymore?" Caroline asked her friend before returning to turning the brush in her hand.

"He truly does all of that for you?" Rebekah questioned, her voice awed and skeptical at the same time.

"Yes." Caroline replied simply, not looking back up.

"Caroline, are you sure you never want more children? That you do not want to get remarried and have a child with that man?" Rebekah asked, her voice quietly serious.

"Yes. You have never had children Rebekah, you do not know what it feels like to carry a child, go through the pain of bringing it into the world, and then losing it because of some act of God. Even if I do find another man to marry, no matter the situation, I will never have another child. I could not survive the loss again or even the idea of that loss." Caroline answered, her voice never getting louder than a whisper, then raising her voice, she asked, "Is that the answer you wanted?"

"I just needed to be sure." Rebekah replied cryptically, and then decided to change the subject, "Has your father brought up the option of having you remarry?"

"Not yet, but Andrew has not even been dead a week. Give it a month, then I am sure he will parading offers in front of me, none of which I will accept." She answered, her voice firm.

"You do not wish to remarry?" Rebekah had not even thought of that as an option for a woman of Caroline's status, especially not after their conversation the day of Andrew's wake.

"If I marry again, it will be because I want to be with him for the rest of our days, not because my father thinks it is a good social match. I have already been stuck in one loveless marriage and I will not be forced into it again." Caroline explained and finally stood from her vanity, walking to the window overlooking the back courtyard. She smiled as she spied the bench in which she talked with Klaus yesterday.

"Not many women would dare utter those words aloud." Rebekah commented, joining her at the window, "If my brother offered you marriage, would you agree?"

"I do not know your brother well enough to accept such an offer." Caroline replied, her voice as regal as she could make it, "Were you not listening to what I just said?

"Would you like to get to know him better?" Rebekah inquired, watching her friend's face carefully.

"Yes, but what a scandal I would cause." Caroline replied with a smirk and a small laugh, "Think how it would seem. I recent widow spending time with one of the Davies bachelors. It would be the talk of every social gathering."

"I have an idea of how you could get around that." Rebekah said, a devious smirk of her own resting on her features.

"Do tell dear friend, what do you have in mind?" Caroline giggled as she walked to where her black dress awaited her, she sighed as she looked at it, wishing she could express her true mood and wear a bright color.

"Marry my brother." Rebekah said, her voice serious, and full of conviction, but upon seeing Caroline's face added, "Before you reject it, think. Marry my brother, it will allow you to get to know him, to maybe even fall in love with him. At the same time it will allow all of your interactions with him to be appropriate and above ideal gossip. Your father will also not be able to pressure you into another marriage and would not disapprove of the match either, my family is very powerful. And, Niklaus will not force you to do anything you do not wish and I can make sure of that as well."

Caroline did not know how to respond, Rebekah made plenty of excellent points and it intrigued Caroline immensely.

"Before you say yes or no, use this month of mourning to think on it." Rebekah insisted, sitting back in her previous chair.

"What if your brother does not approve of your plan?" Caroline asked, slipping behind her dressing wall and slowly putting on the black gown.

"Oh, he will love the idea." Rebekah assured her, a large laugh escaping her, "In fact, I might get a new ball for thinking of such a wonderful plan."

Caroline tied the laces up to her mid back, as far as she could reach, and then a thought came to her, "Does your brother want no children?"

Caroline could not see Rebekah when she asked the question, but as she walked around the wall, she was not expecting to see a sad looking girl, "Rebekah, are you all right?"

Her voice seemed to snap the girl out of her saddened thoughts, "Yes, sorry, but…. My siblings and I…..we cannot have children."

"Why not?" Caroline asked, kneeling in front of her friend, taking her hands in her own.

"It is just not possible, can we please not talk of it?" Rebekah asked and Caroline had never heard her voice so dejected.

"Of course, I will never bring it up again." Caroline confirmed, squeezing her pale hands before standing back up, "Should we retire to the garden for morning tea or do you have to be getting back?"

"Let me finish up your strings and then I think tea would be lovely." Rebekah said, allowing a small smile to her lips and Caroline responded in kind.

* * *

Rebekah walked into her brother's sitting room with purpose, she knew she had to word everything she said perfectly. She had no intention of getting on her brother's bad side today, as he was needed to make her plan a success. Rebekah had never really considered turning Caroline before, she had always assumed that eventually Caroline would either grow tired of her or Rebekah would need to run away. But now, she could see how unhappy Caroline was with her life, and Rebekah did have the perfect solution.

"What can I help you with sister?" Klaus asked, looking up from the sketchpad in his hand. He and Elijah had come up with a plan to make sure that the entire supernatural world was looking for the doppelganger, and he was getting a head start on it.

"In a way, it will help you too." She started, coming over and sitting in the chair next to his, "I was talking to Caroline today," She paused to gage his reaction and saw his interest spike, "Her father is going to force her to remarry, and have more children, both of which she doesn't want."

"What are you getting at?" Klaus asked, putting the sketchpad on the table next to him, and looking at his sister directly.

"You want Caroline, she wants you, and I want her too." Rebekah knew that her wants were different than her brother's, but she found that insignificant at the moment, "So, I think that you should court her, and marry her."

"Marry her?" Klaus repeated, slowly, as if the words were brand new to him.

Rebekah rolled her eyes, and explained the situation a little fuller, "You need to if you want to be with her. She will not just jump into your bed on a whim, she is not that kind of woman. Marrying her will allow you all the access to her that you could desire, while making sure that there is no scandal. Our family is respected, an offer of marriage from you could not be swept under the rug, especially when it comes to a woman in Caroline's position."

Klaus slowly thought over his sister's words, he had already done a great many things to get into Caroline's bed, but this seemed to be taking it a bit far. There was something about Caroline though, something that made him believe she could be better for something more than just a good time for a night, that just maybe she could be his match. He raised his eyes and looked at Rebekah, "What would you have me do?"

The smile that lit up Rebekah's face was something Klaus had seen since they were human, "Write to her. You need to make her fall in love with you without actually being able to talk to you in person. I will be your personal messenger to ensure everything remains hidden."

"Why are you going through all of this trouble Bekah?" He asked suddenly, he knew that his sister liked Caroline, but he was starting to think it was more than that.

"I feel like Caroline could be good for us Nik. The last months I have had her in my life are the most accepted I have felt in a long time. It is almost like I am getting that elder sister I never had, and no offense, but always wished I did." Rebekah explained, getting to her feet and smiling at her brother, "I promise you won't regret this."

Klaus smirked at her, "I will hold you to that little sister."

Rebekah gave him a smile and walked out of the room, nearly running into Elijah on the way out. Elijah followed his sister with his eyes before looking over at a still smirking and chuckling Klaus, "What was that about?"

Klaus looked up at his elder brother, "Rebekah has decided that I need a wife, and has come up with a plan to get me one." The look on Elijah's face was enough to send Klaus into another bout of laughter that took him minutes to get under control before he explained everything to him.


	5. Love Letters

Rebekah was careful to make sure that the letter was hidden securely in the folds of her dress as the maid led her to one of the Forbes' many sitting rooms. She still wasn't completely sure that Niklaus could get a girl like Caroline to fall for him with nothing up his sleeve but a few letters. Her brother had never been the most sensitive or open person in her life. He liked to hide his pain, or loneliness, with blood, alcohol and violence. Rebekah was also worried about what would happen when Mikael eventually caught up to them, changing their names and moving could only hide them for so long. Especially with the extravagance that seemed to rule their lives.

Rebekah was jolted from her thoughts when the maid, Anne, opened a door and announced her presence. Rebekah rolled her eyes, and entered the room. She went right up to Caroline and gave her a hug, "How are you handling things today my dear?"

"It is will be much better now that I have you to keep me some company." Caroline replied, and then turned to the maid, and giving her a pointed stare said, "You are excused."

Anne bowed her head and left, wishing she knew how to get Caroline to trust her, or at least find a good place to eavesdrop. Lady Victoria was very interested in any information that could be gathered on her stepdaughter, and paid well for it.

Caroline waited until she was sure Anne had left, before saying, "What did you brother think of the arrangement we discussed?"

"He was eager to get a chance to be with you, and wrote you this." Rebekah said and removed the letter from its hiding place. She handed it to Caroline with a delicate smile.

Caroline took the envelope in her hand and looked at it with shock. She hadn't expected for a man of Klaus' reputation to even try for a chance at her hand, especially after it had been made clear that she would not warm his bed. Caroline looked up from the letter and told Rebekah as much, "I did not actually think he would agree to the terms."

"Something about you has him interested Caroline. It surprises me as well, I have never once seen him behave this way." Rebekah told her friend, and glanced at the letter, "Do you want me to leave so you can read it or should I stay for afternoon tea?"

Caroline smiled at the girl and hid the letter with her own dress this time, "Your visits are the only social interaction I can get outside of two young boys, my father, stepmother, and a bunch of servants. I _need_ you to stay for tea." She replied with a laugh and glided Rebekah over to the balcony, where she had had the tea set up before the younger girl had arrived.

* * *

Caroline had been waiting patiently until she was left alone in her room, Anne was currently making sure that the fireplace was firmly burning. She had enjoyed spending the day with Rebekah, even though most of the time the younger girl had gone on about the good qualities of her brother. Caroline did not fail to notice that all of his good qualities were somehow related to his loyalty to his family. Caroline could respect that, it was something to be proud of, and not something she could say she had much personal experience with.

She waited until Anne had closed the door firmly behind her, leaving her alone and tucked securely into her bed, with only a candle and the fireplace lighting up the room. Caroline carefully removed the letter she had hidden within one of her pillows, and began to read:

_My Lady Caroline,_

_I was so pleased to hear it when my sister told me that you were willing to get to know me in this method. I must admit that I am not the best when it comes to sharing my feelings, or thoughts. I was very touched by your willingness to share so much of your past with me, a virtual stranger, the other day._

_I feel as though it would only be fair for me to do the same. I know that writing down an emotion or story on paper is not the same as voicing it aloud, but this is the closest I can came to that level of intimacy, given our current situational boundaries._

_The greatest loss I have felt in my life is the death of my youngest brother, Henrik. His death was my fault, though it did not come from my hands directly. My siblings and I were born somewhere else and only recently traveled to England. The land we called home was wild and very secluded. Against all the warnings, and my better judgment, Henrik and I were out much too late one night. The full moon was in full swing, so it made it easy for us to see, but we missed the creatures stalking us. The wolves were on us before I could even think to draw my sword. They tore at my brother, ripping at his skin and breaking his bones. They killed him before I was able to fight them off of him and scare them away. When I brought my brother's broken body back to our family, there was nothing left to be done, he was already gone. I blamed myself, and so did everyone else. My father, someone who never treated me well to begin with, was nearly murderous. I am sure that it was only my mother, whose torn screams still haunt my nightmares, that kept him at bay._

_The biggest regret in my life is what happened with Henrik, and it will forever torment me. That one event changed my entire future, and that of my family, another burden I feel placed on my shoulders._

_I hope that this, in some small way, has proven that your willingness to share your past with me was not something to be shameful of. We all have demons hiding in the shadows of our history._

_I do hope that you choose to reply to this letter. I would like to have a woman such as yourself in my life, all you have to do is agree._

_Fondly, Klaus_

Caroline had fought to keep her tears from falling, but she had failed and now wiped to remove the moisture from her cheeks. It was awful that he had been holding on to such pain and guilt. Caroline was surprised that should get such a sense of raw emotion from something as unfeeling as a slip of parchment.

She looked at the candle and wondered if she should risk it the danger of being discovered to move into her adjoining sitting room to write him a response. Rebekah would not visit for over a day yet, and that gave her time. With a sigh Caroline leaned over and blew out the candle, surrounding her in near darkness and leaving her alone in her thoughts.

* * *

Klaus was even more nervous today than he was when he had given Rebekah the letter two days earlier. For today would determine if he was to get a response in return, the presence or absence of a letter would show him if she was willing to get to know him, or if his terrible past had scared her away.

He clenched the glass in his hand, turning and twisting it as he paced silently in his sitting room waiting for Rebekah's return from her visit to Caroline's.

"You will ruin that carpet if you keep this up Nik." Kol commented as he strolled into the room, not caring that his opinion wasn't wanted.

"Go away. Don't you have some poor, innocent woman to corrupt?" Klaus asked as he turned to stare out the window, which opened up onto the expansive backyard.

"She will wait, the women always do." Kol teased and flopped himself down in an armchair, "Now, are you ready to tell me why you are so infatuated with this widow?"

"It is none of your concern." Klaus replied through gritted teeth, "Leave me in peace and go take your annoying personality someplace else."

Kol put on a face of faux pain, but pushed himself out of the chair, "You insult me brother. I am only trying to help you with your happiness."

"Of that I am sure." Klaus commented, sarcasm lacing his voice.

"One day you'll take me seriously Nik." Kol answered before flashing from the room, the door slamming behind him.

Klaus downed his drink and walked over to the table to pour another. Just as he started to lift the bottle, the door opened and Rebekah sauntered in.

"Nik, I have something for you." Rebekah told him, fanning herself with the letter, a giant grin on her smug face.

"Well, are you going to giving to it me or are you waiting for me to beg?" Klaus asked, eyeing the letter with both greed and nervousness as he poured himself the drink.

"Would you beg for it?" Rebekah asked, with a laugh, but immediately handed it over to him when he gave her a look that threatened her life. Rebekah walked back toward the door, "I will leave you to it. I certainly am enjoying all of this."

"I am sure you are little sister." Klaus replied and waited until she had closed the door before he ran back to his chair and ripped open the envelope. Klaus read the words with a fluttering heart, and for the first time in centuries had hope for some happiness in his life:

_Dear Niklaus,_

_Thank you for sharing such a deep, and personal experience with me. I am so sorry for the loss of your younger brother, mine are very dear to me and it would pain for me to lose them. I would love to offer reassurances that the situation was beyond your control, and therefore you are not to blame for his death, but I am sure you have heard such things in the past, from people much more important to you than I. I do wish to offer you my ear, or shoulder, if you ever feel the need to discuss it further_.

Klaus paused as he let her words soak in. She was not blaming him, and was even offering to console him on the matter. He was sure that neither of those had ever happened to him before, from anyone, including his siblings. He took a long swig of his drink before continuing on:

_I thought it might be best to start telling each other some of our happier experiences. The one I have chosen will entertain you for certain, as I know you have already expressed interest in hearing it._

_Three months after the death of my daughter, I thought that it was due time that I left my bed, and my grief. I told my maid to prepare for a trip into town, I wished to buy some fabric to make a new dress. I was hoping that the activity would help keep my mind busy, and maybe help rebuild my heart, one little piece at a time. As I was walking through the market, looking at the different fabrics available for sale, a dyed fabric of different shades of blue caught my eye. I reached out to grab for it, but instead of coming in contact with the fabric, my hand landed on another. I immediately apologized, but moved to touch the fabric nonetheless. The hand my had touched belonged to a feisty young blonde who proceeded to tell me that she had eyed the fabric first, making it hers and that I should move on. Now, if I had been the woman I was before the death of my children, I would have probably just nodded my head and moved to the next lovely choice. But, I was no longer that person. I turned to your sister and told her that I would do no such thing, that the fabric was exactly what I was looking for, and I would not give it up so easily. This then led to your sister and I arguing over who would look better in a dress made from such a fabric, we fought for nearly an hour, making a nice scene for the vendors and other customers. In the end, I relented and left the fabric for your sister. As I was walking away from the market, a voice called out to me. I was very surprised when I turned around to see your sister rushing up to me, the fabric we had fought over held in the hands of her maid. She then invited me to join me for tea at a little shop with a garden. I accepted. I told her a few things about myself, I was nearly as forward with her as I was with you. It was a pleasant conversation, and the most fun I had with another person in months. She and I agreed to meet up again at the same location two days later, and from there our friendship was born._

_Meeting your sister was the first good thing that happened to me since the death of my children, and I will forever love her for her support, and for her friendship. I hope it is not too forward of me to say, but meeting you, and getting to know you has been wonderful. I look forward to receiving your next letter._

_Affectionately, Caroline._

Klaus grinned as he set down the parchment. The letter had not been what he had expected, but he was happy that it had been what it was. She both showed that she cared for him, and his sister, who was the most important person in his life. He loved his brothers, but Rebekah had always been his favorite. Klaus was happy that Rebekah finally had a friend that truly cared about her, it was something that he knew his sister had desperately craved her entire life. Klaus made himself a promise as those thoughts crossed his mind, that no matter what happened between him and Caroline, he could not let Rebekah lose her.

He quickly finished his drink before walking over to his writing desk, and he tried to think of a happy tale to her. There was so much darkness and hate in his past, that he would have to go to some tale from his childhood, and even happy memories there were hard to find, and would require a lot of changes.

Klaus let out a sigh as looked down at the blank paper, and tried to think of the words to say to the beautiful blonde widow that had captured his mind, possibly, if he allowed it, his heart.

* * *

Caroline was trying hard to remain calm and fidget in her seat as she was forced to sit through dinner with her father, stepmother and two younger brothers. She loved her brothers, she truly did but tonight they were not making it easy with their constant insults and thrown food.

It seemed her stepmother agreed with her as she yelled out, "Boys enough. Go to you rooms, I cannot take anymore of this silly little bickering."

"But Mama, we haven't had dessert yet!" William, the eldest, spoke out.

"And you aren't going to have it. I have asked you twice now to settle down, but still you must harass your brother." Victoria said, glaring at her sons before nodding to one of the maids to show them out, "Hopefully this will teach you a lesson for next time."

Caroline gave William and Jameson sad smiles as they shuffled out of the dining room, their heads downcast. She shook her head at their silliness and took a sip of the wine in front of her.

"How was your visit with the Lady Davies today Caroline?" Victoria asked her stepdaughter, the disapproval thick in her tone.

"Lovely, it is nice to know that I have such a supportive friend at a time like this." Caroline replied, looking at her stepmother straight in the eye, her dislike for the elder woman clear in her stare.

"That it is." Her father commented, and looked between the two women. He knew that there was some sort of feud going on between them, but he had never learned why or how it had started. He wasn't sure he wanted to, "Have you taken any time to go over what we have discussed?"

"Andrew hasn't even been dead two weeks Father. Can you really expect me to be ready to pick a new husband?" Caroline asked, giving the maid a small smile as she placed a pastry in front of her for dessert.

"I just want you to know your options Caroline, I would hate to see you become an old maid with no one to care for you. I will not be around forever." Bill told his oldest child, glancing at her with sad eyes.

Caroline smiled at him, "I love you Father, and I know you are only trying to look out for me. But don't worry, I will find a new husband, just maybe not at the rate you would like me to."

The three of them finished their dessert in silence before Caroline excused herself. She quickly made her way to her room, the new letter from Klaus was almost burning a hole in her pocket. She made easy work of the seal and sat down in the chair in front of her fireplace to read it:

_My Lovely Caroline,_

_Thank you for your kind words on behalf of my brother, they meant a great deal to me. I also enjoyed hearing the story of how you became such a good friend to my sister, she has needed someone like you in her life._

_As for the happy stories, I am afraid that there are not many of those in my life. One that I can think of clearly though, I would be happy to share with you. The first time I ever beat Elijah at anything, was a mock sword fight that Rebekah and Henrik witnessed. Elijah and I had finished our chores early, and decided to have some a little enjoyment with our free time. The fight was lighthearted with witty remarks and taunts. I am not sure how I did it, but I somehow gained the upper hand and won. Looking at Rebekah and Henrik's laughing faces, I felt truly happy for a few moments, the last ones I had for years. And until recently, I did not see any reason to believe that there were any coming in the future._

_To that note, the most recent happy moment I experienced was receiving your letter. I was truly surprised, and touched that you wrote back to me. You have given me something I have not had in a long time Caroline, hope for a better future, and I thank you for that. I can't wait for the day that you accept you my offer of marriage and allow me to be a part of your life, for you are truly a light in my darkness._

_Yours Fondly, Klaus_

Caroline smiled as she took in his touching words, and noticed that there was a second piece of paper in the envelope. At first she had thought that that he had written a letter than required two pages, but that was not the case. She looked at the second piece, and put a hand to her mouth as she took out a beautiful drawing. It was a portrait of her, smiling up at him as she did while they were dancing. She could even see the detail he put into the drawing, making it look as if it was a perfect recreation of the first time they danced together. She was going to think that they would have more opportunities to dance, especially if Rebekah got her way on the matter.

There was a subtle knock on the door, and Caroline quickly hid the letter and drawing from view. She could not, however, keep the smile off of her face as Anne entered to help her prepare for bed. And she knew, that tonight her head would be filled with dreams of Niklaus Mikaelson, and those were the best kind of dreams she believed.


	6. Acceptance at Last

Caroline waited patiently for Rebekah to arrive, as she had been three times a week for the last month of her solitude. Rebekah was her only visitor, men would have been considered suitors and it had been too soon to entertain the thought of such things. Rebekah did however bring with her a letter from her brother, to which Caroline would give a reply at Rebekah's following visit. It was a slow, tedious process but Caroline felt herself falling for the man who wrote such beautiful words.

She sighed as she heard the bell ring at the door, hoping it was finally Rebekah and not another elderly man seeking to discuss her hand with her father. The offers had started two days previously and all were men her father's age or older, widowers, with grown sons. She refused to listen to their names anymore and it made her father and stepmother increasing angry with her.

Footsteps ran into the sitting room from the far door, distracting her from wondering who was at the door, Caroline smiled as her younger brothers stood in front of her, both wearing their riding clothes. They were young still, William was eleven and Jameson was nine, both results of her father's second marriage. Caroline had an older brother once, but he died in battle while serving in the army and a younger brother had died with her mother in the birthing bed.

"Caroline, would you like to come to our riding lessons with us today?" Jameson asked, coming to sit next to her on the couch. His features matched that of his mother, expect for his blue eyes, the same shade as Caroline's and their father's.

"I cannot today my sweet, but you two have fun alright? And try not to play jokes on your poor old teacher today?" She scolded lightly, she loved her trouble maker brothers, they were the only good thing about living in this house.

"We could try but playing with him is half the fun." William replied, a smirk playing with his angelic features.

"Boys! What are you still doing here? Go to the stables before you are late." Their mother's stern voice came from the foyer entrance.

"Yes Mother." They both responded instantly and ran past her and out the door.

Caroline laughed at their silliness before noticing the glare of her stepmother, "Is something wrong Victoria?"

"Are you really not going to agree to any of these marriage offers?" She asked, and inclined her head toward the front door, "I do believe another one was just delivered."

Caroline had hoped that Victoria would understand her, they were from similar situations. Victoria's first marriage had ended with the death of her husband and young son in a carriage accident. Two years later she had married Caroline's recently widowed father and she had never treated Caroline like a daughter. "I had hoped that you at least would understand what I am going through. You too have lost a husband and a child. Is it so unbelievable that I do not wish to suffer that again?"

"No, it is not, but you are too young to allow this to turn you into an old maid and become a burden on your father and myself." She said sternly, her eyes boring into Caroline like a stab to the heart.

"You only want me to leave so the attention can remain centered on you, like you did before." Caroline countered, hating the woman more with each passing day. Caroline was sure it was Victoria that had convinced her father to marry her off to Andrew in the first place, fifteen was not an uncommon age to get married at but it was still considered a bit young for a noble woman.

"Do you really want this to be your life?" Victoria countered, her voice rising but she never moved from the doorway, "To spend your days stuck in this house with only that strumpet Rebekah Davies to keep you company a few days a week?"

"You will not speak of the _Lady_ Rebekah like that!" Caroline shouted, almost getting to her feet in anger, stressing the word Lady.

"A Lady is she." Victoria started, and kept up her angry tirade of the family, "Of what? Her brothers are considered Lords and her a Lady. But what an odd family they are, no parents to keep them in line, and all unmarried. The eldest seems respectful enough, there are not many rumors spread about him, but the other brothers, what stories are told about them and their bed hopping." Her anger turned into a sly smirk, as she was hoping to enrage Caroline, almost as if she knew what Caroline and Klaus were up to.

"They are the most powerful family under the King in this country, you would be wise to remember that." Caroline defended, her eyes glaring daggers at the woman across from her. Klaus' reputation was not a secret to her, she had known about it before they ever met, but she was sure he was changing because of her.

"That might be true, but when the Lady Rebekah finally gets bored of spending time with the likes of you, you will be left alone to fall into your despair, with no one to rescue you." Victoria informed her and slowly walked out the back door of the room.

Caroline took slow calming breaths before standing and going up to her room. Though it was not her turn to send a letter, there was something she desperately needed to tell Klaus. She quickly removed a piece of paper from her stationary set and began to write:

_My Dearest Klaus,_

_My arguments with my dreadful stepmother have reached a boiling point. I cannot stay in this house much longer. I wish for a rescue from this new hell that has been imposed on me or I will do something that I am sure I will regret. As long as it still stands, I will accept your offer._

_Always Yours, Caroline_.

She sealed the simple note and pressed a kiss to it, hoping that he would answer her prayer and save her from this house.

There was a soft knock on her door before it opened and Anne popped her head in, "My lady, the Lady Reb…"

"I do not need an introduction, she is expecting me you dolt." Rebekah snapped and pushed past the maid into the room, "You can go now."

Anne looked briefly at Caroline, who was trying so hard not to laugh before she disappeared back out the door.

"You sure know how to make an entrance Bekah." Caroline said, finally allowing her laughs to escape.

"I cannot stand that woman." Rebekah said, looking at door briefly before turning back to her friend, "She reminds me of someone I used to know and it irritates me to no end." She then reached into the fold of her bodice and pulled out a letter, handing it to Caroline, "The latest from my dear brother."

"Thank you." Caroline said, and immediately began to read it, as she just needed to make sure that there was one simple statement written, and it was.

The smiles that appeared on Caroline's lips as she read each line made Rebekah smile as well, she truly hoped that Caroline would fall for her brother. Rebekah had come to love Caroline like the sister she never had and wanted her to stay with her forever. It was selfish of her, Rebekah knew this, but she needed Caroline. Nik was the only obstacle in her desire, but he seemed to have taken a genuine interest in Caroline, and Caroline in him. It would be better if their fling, or love, was established before Rebekah shared their biggest and darkest secret.

"What has my brother said to capture your heart this time my dear?" Rebekah smirked as Caroline placed the letter carefully in the hidden drawer of her vanity bench.

"Nothing more than usual, I wish I could speak to him in person." Caroline admitted and grabbed the note from the table top, "Please give this to him."

"You wrote without waiting for his letter? That is new." Rebekah commented but hid the small note anyway. And looked at Caroline for an explanation to this change in behavior.

"I got into a fight with Victoria while I was waiting for you." Caroline started to explain, "She said many unkind things and I have decided to accept your brother's offer. Which, as usual, he asked again in his letter, I have given him my consent to make the formal request."

"Really?" Rebekah asked in an excited, high pitched voice, jumping to her feet, "This is wonderful. I want to run home right now and tell Nik."

"Then, please go." Caroline insisted, standing to be at a level with Rebekah, "The sooner we get this started, the sooner I can be out of this house."

"I will and I promise that he will either return tonight to discuss it with your father or do it first thing in the morning." Rebekah assured her, "Trust me, we will do everything to get you out of this house within the next month."

"I could never not trust you Bekah." Caroline said, bringing the girl into a hug, "Now go, and trust me when I say the faster the better."

"See you soon, Sis." Rebekah giggled as she tore open the door and ran out of the room.

Caroline flung herself backwards onto her bed, clenching her hands to her chest. _I have done it,_ she thought _, I have given over my future to a man, again. It was something I had promised never to do, but he makes me feel wanted, needed even. I hope I do not live to regret this decision._

* * *

The rest of the afternoon and dinner went by without outside interruption, much to Caroline's disappointment, but she refused to start to worry until tomorrow evening.

"Caroline, I received three more offers for your hand today. The Lords Standford, Roberts and Harris." He started as the adults sat in the sitting room for the rest of the evening. The boys had been sent to their rooms early for nearly giving their riding teacher a heart attack when they charged at him during their lesson earlier that day.

"Any of those could be a good match. Lord Harris is the youngest choice but he has no children and would expect some from you." Victoria chimed in, looking up from her embroidery to look at her step daughter.

"No, to all of them." Caroline stated, not looking up from her own embroidery, which she hated, but at least at this moment it gave her something else to focus on besides Klaus.

William sighed, looking at his only daughter before saying, "Caroline, I will not allow you to become a spinster. I will give you one week to choose one of the suitors for your husband, or I will pick one for you."

"I still will not accept your choice, nor will I make a choice until I hear an offer I like." Caroline responded, finally looking at her father.

"Why must you…" He started to rant but was interrupted by Robert, the butler.

"Apologizes my lord, but guests have arrived wishing to speak to you about your daughter's hand." He explained, and Caroline knew who it was from the look of disapproval on his face.

"Who are the guests?" William asked, already rising to his feet to greet them.

"Lords Elijah and Niklaus Davies, my lord." He responded, trying to hide his displeasure, but not succeeding very well.

"Surprising, see them to my office." William said to Robert and turned to look at his daughter, "Is this the offer you have been waiting for?"

"I do not know what you mean Father." She feigned ignorance but could not keep the large grin off her lips.

"Yes, I am sure." He muttered as he left the room, leaving Caroline alone with Victoria.

"You planned this with that little friend of yours did you not?" Victoria accused, sounding angry.

"Perhaps, but why should that matter to you. If I marry Lord Davies, then I will be out of your home and no longer became a burden, is that not what you want?" Caroline inquired, and then added, her voice a tone darker, "Or did you want me to marry some old man on his deathbed?"

Victoria did not respond in her normal quick snap, she paused and then said, "I just wanted you to get what you deserve. Murdering your husband should come with some sort of displeasure for you."

Caroline's eyes grew wide at the accusation, "I did not kill Andrew! His death was an accident brought on by too much drink and a well-made bedpost."

"I think that is what you have made everyone believe but I do not agree. I know you hated your marriage and your husband. I bet you had help from the Davies woman as well, that girl is nothing but trouble." Victoria accused, keeping her focus completely on Caroline.

"Well, that trouble making Davies woman is my soon to be sister-in-law, so I suggest you start showing some respect." Caroline replied, locking eyes with the horrible woman across the room.

"That is only something that will happen if your father accepts the terms of the Davies' proposal and I can make sure that never happens." Victoria threatened, her eyes narrowing at the blonde.

Caroline let out a low, short laugh, "I would not threaten me Victoria. Do not forget that I can cause a scandal if I was so inclined. And I would bring on such a scandal that would put the Forbes family in the center circle of gossip for years."

"You would not dare." Victoria commented, her voice full of anger and shock.

"You believe I murdered my husband. What is to stop me from becoming the town harlot?" Caroline asked sweetly, as she gently put her needlework away.

Victoria had no response and Caroline smirked at the look of fear and confusion on her stepmother's face. If there was one thing that Victoria loved more than herself, it was her reputation.

The door to the room opened, causing both women to quickly get to their feet. William walked in first, two men following behind, "Lord Elijah, Lord Niklaus, my wife Lady Victoria and my daughter, Lady Caroline, you already know."

"It is a pleasure to meet you Lady Forbes." Elijah said, bowing to Victoria and kissing her outstretched hand as she curtsied.

"As it is mine to meet you Lord Davies." Victoria responded as she slowly stood back up.

Caroline blushed as she smiled fully at Klaus, who was looking at her with unshielded desire, and a smirk that made her want to melt.

"Lady Forbes." Klaus said next to Victoria and repeated the process that Elijah had just done.

"Lord Davies." She replied formally, eyeing him with suspicion.

"Victoria, Caroline, Lord Niklaus has come to ask for Caroline's hand, and I have agreed to his proposal." William said, and Caroline had to do everything in her power to not jump up and down like a six year old.

Victoria was having the opposite problem, doing her best to repress the shock at her husband's words, "Well, this is an unexpected pleasure."

"Yes, the offer was just too good to refuse." William answered, looking at his wife carefully, as if trying to judge her real reaction.

"The true question is though, do you, Lady Caroline, accept my brother's hand in marriage?" Elijah asked her, looking her over more carefully than he had before, only having met her the night of Rebekah's birthday dance and day of her husband's wake.

"I do." Caroline answered, the smile on her face true and making her even more beautiful. She locked eyes with Klaus and almost felt her heart stop from the look he was giving her.

"Excellent." Elijah said, not missing the look between the two before looking back at Lord Forbes, "We will make all the arrangements for the wedding. We were thinking in two weeks."

"So soon?" Victoria asked, her voice small, as she stepped up next to her husband.

"We see no need to delay." Elijah stated, clearly doing all the talking for the family, "Do you wish to have more time?"

"That is not necessary." William assured them, looping his arm around his wife's waist, "Two weeks will be efficient."

"Good, we will contact you tomorrow and discuss this further then. Thank you for your hospitality Lord Forbes." Elijah said and nodded at both Victoria and Caroline, lingering a bit longer on the latter before heading back into the foyer.

"I look forward to getting to know all of you better." Klaus uttered, before returning his eyes to Caroline, "Until tomorrow love."

"Good bye my lord, thank you for your proposal." She said graciously, wishing she could leave with him.

He nodded at her father before he followed his brother out and Caroline released the breath she had been holding. She rushed to her father, throwing her arms around his neck, "Thank you Father."

"Anything for you my darling daughter." He replied, hugging her tight, "Only two more weeks do I have you."

"It is not like I am moving to another kingdom, only to another part of town. We will still see each other." Caroline assured him and when she was released left to go up to her room. The smile on her lips refusing to leave.

* * *

Four days later the Davies family came over to the Forbes estate to have afternoon tea. Caroline found the seating arrangement of the meal interesting. Victoria had arranged it so that the Forbes sat on the left side, while the Davies sat on the right. Her father and Elijah took up the end of the table, with Klaus beside his brother and Victoria across from him. Caroline was next to Victoria, with Rebekah directly across, while Kol and the boys sat at the other end.

Caroline could see that the latter decision was a good choice, as Kol seemed to be fascinating the children with stories of his own tricks when he was a child. Caroline couldn't help but stare at Klaus, and he in return stared at her, both of them wishing that they could somehow sneak away. She could see out of the corner of her eyes how Victoria kept shooting her glances, as if daring her to make a wrong move.

"Would you like a tour of the grounds Lord Elijah?" William asked, taking Victoria's hand in his, "I am sure you will like the garden, Victoria has done an excellent job at growing some roses."

Caroline smiled, she was wondering how long it would take for them to offer than, especially after Elijah had explained that one of his recent hobbies was fixing up the grounds of his estate.

"Mother, can we show Kol the stables instead of going on the stupid tour?" The young William asked, as Jameson nodded. The two seemed to have grasped on to Kol like he was their new god.

Victoria sighed, but agreed nonetheless, "Yes, you may show _Lord_ Kol the stables."

"Yes." Jameson cheered and the two boys each took hold of one of Kol's hands and led him toward the stables, were their favorite horses were housed.

"Hopefully they won't get into any trouble." Victoria commented as she watched the three walk away, an uneasy feeling settling over her.

"I cannot promise no trouble, but Kol will make sure they are not hurt." Elijah assured her as Rebekah placed her hand on his elbow and they began to walk down the path next to William and Victoria.

Caroline smiled as she copied Rebekah's action with Klaus, only Klaus made sure that there was very little space between them. He also set their pace so that the others were slowly pulling away from them. Caroline smirked as she realized what he was doing, and gripped his arm a little tighter.

There was section in the garden where it forked, the left led toward the rose garden, which was very beautiful. Caroline might hate her stepmother, but the woman was excellent at raising a garden. The right led to a little pond with a bridge spanning over it and a bench under a large tree. Caroline made sure that they steered toward the right, and hoped that the others would not notice their absence.

Klaus narrowed his eyes as they walked away from the others, "Are you trying to get me alone love?"

"Would that be a bad thing?" Caroline asked, flashing him a smile before looking ahead of them again.

"I did not say that, I was rather hoping that was the case." Klaus replied as they started walking across the bridge.

Caroline stopped walking and turned to lean against the railing, her nerves suddenly hitting her as she realized that they were truly alone now. She didn't have long to think on those nerves though as she found herself being turned around and felt him press his lips to hers.

This kiss was not small, or hesitant as it had been before, it was full of longing and passion. Caroline wasted no time in responding to his demanding kisses, she had been waiting for this opportunity for weeks now. Klaus used her answer to push her back a bit, her lower back coming into contact with the railing as his body pressed as close to her as their clothes would allow.

Klaus was sure that he never experienced anything as wonderful as this kiss, it was as if his entire body was tingling from the feel of her lips on his and her body flush against his own. He was desperate to keep her close, and keep her forever in his arms. He pulled away, only slightly, to give her some space to breathe.

Caroline smiled, before taking his hand and leading him over to the bench on the other side of the pond. She carefully sat down, and pulled him down next to her. She blinked a few times before saying, "Are kisses like that what I get to look forward once we are married?"

"That, and so much more sweetheart." He said, his voice laced with seduction as he leaned in to kiss her again.

Before his lips could touch her though, they heard Elijah's voice echo, "I am sure the pond is not nearly as lovely as your roses."

Victoria's laugh followed before she said, "No, but near the pond is one of the largest tress I am sure you will see in our country."

Caroline and Klaus quickly moved so they were sitting farther apart and looking out over the pond instead of at each other.

"There you are, I wondered where you wandered off to." Victoria commented as their little group crossed the bridge.

Caroline noticed that Rebekah rolled her eyes before giving Caroline a reassuring smile and a wink. She blushed at what she thought the younger girl was thinking had gone on, but was sure she probably wasn't far from the truth.

Klaus got to his feet and offered his hand to Caroline, who gently placed her own hand in his. As Caroline stood up Klaus turned to the new arrivals and said, "Caroline just mentioned that after the roses we should see the pond. Roses have always irritated my nose, so I suggested we just skip them all together and wait here for you to catch up to us. She was kind enough to accept." He explained effortlessly, and Caroline was amazed that he was able to come up with such a believable lie so easily. He then looked directly at his brother, "How were the roses brother? Are you going to be taking lesson from Lady Forbes?"

"I should be so lucky, the Lady Forbes as a green thumb to be sure." Elijah replied, smiling at Victoria as he complimented her.

Victoria looked away from Elijah as a blush crossed her cheeks, no one ever complimented her so generously before.

Rebekah spoke up suddenly, her head tilting to one side as if she heard something, "We should probably go collect Kol before he teaches those poor boys some of his worse tricks."

Elijah nodded, and the six of them walked back to the dining area. The tea had long since been cleared by the servants in their absence.

Caroline was surprised to see that Kol was sitting there waiting for them, her little brothers nowhere to be seen.

As if he could read their minds, Kol, with a large smirk on his innocent looking face, said, "The boys were feeling a little tired, so they retired to their rooms."

Caroline felt Klaus tense next to her, and noticed that both Rebekah and Elijah seemed to have similar reactions. She had a feeling that something either really bad, or really funny was going to happen tonight.

Elijah turned to William, "Thank you again Lord Forbes for you hospitably. I look forward to getting to know you better once we are family."

"Yes, family we will be, so please, call me Bill." He replied and shook Elijah's hand before he did the same with Klaus and Kol. When he came to Rebekah he brought her hand up and placed a gentle kiss to the back of it, "I am sure that all of you will treat my daughter with great respect."

"We wouldn't have it any other way." Klaus assured the elder man, and smiled at Caroline, "Someone has wonderful as Caroline deserves to have the world."

Caroline blushed and looked away from his desirous stare, feeling something new settle in her stomach. She returned her eyes to the family now standing across from her own, hardly able to wait until she would be one of them.


	7. A Day for Wearing White

Caroline was trying hard not to laugh as she awaited for Rebekah to come see her, the wedding was only three days away, but all her mind could think about was the prank her brothers had pulled a few days prior. A gentle knock on the door before it was opened allowed Caroline to collect herself as Rebekah walked in, closing the door behind her forcefully.

"I will be glad when I never have to see that mousy little servant again." Rebekah commented, as she always did before looking at her soon-to-be sister, "What has you in such a good mood?"

"Do you know what your brother helped mine do the other day?" Caroline asked, watching her friend's face carefully to see if she did.

"No, but I have a few ideas. Kol has always been a troublemaker." Rebekah told her friend and took a chair by the fire. The down pouring rain outside would keep their normal mid-afternoon tea an inside affair. As Rebekah held out her feet toward the fire, she asked, "What did he teach them to do?"

"Well, for the last few days, Victoria has been complaining of an awful stench filling her room. The servants searched for three whole days before they found the source of the odor, coming from some strange stitches in her mattress." Caroline finished, and raised her eyebrows. The expression on Rebekah's face told her that she had been a victim of this particular prank.

"I am sorry he taught them that, but I am glad they did it to Victoria and not to you." She replied, smiling at the thought of that awful woman getting something like that done to her.

"Yes, it was very interesting to see the servants carry her bed into the yard and then proceed to pull horse dung out of it." Caroline said, bursting into full on laughs as she recalled the event, "Victoria's face was also priceless as she realized she had been sleeping on a mattress stuffed with dung for a few days. I must thank your brother for this someday, but I think it would be too soon to do so now."

"I agree, he will get some thought in his head as if he is a genius, and we do not want to live with that for the rest of eternity." Rebekah told her friend, and then looked over to the waiting refreshments, "Now, how about some of that tea before we were start discussing your wedding?"

Caroline nodded and went to the pour the tea, her thoughts now focused on one thing, her wedding and spending the rest of her life with Klaus, "Are you finally going to tell me what you have planned for me to wear?"

"That, my dear Caroline, is a wedding surprise." Rebekah replied with a devious smirk as looked at her friend before turning back to the fire.

* * *

Rebekah walked calmly into her brother's study, she felt there was something they needed to discuss before he got married tomorrow. She sighed as she took in his appearance, slightly disheveled and just staring off into the flames of his fireplace with a glass of alcohol in his hand.

"Is this really how you want to spend your last night as an unmarried man Nik?" Rebekah asked him as she slowly glided toward him from the doorway.

"I have a lot to think about Rebekah, please give me some space." He told her, not even making a move to turn to look at his sister.

"I hope one of those thing you are thinking about is how you are going to tell Caroline that we are vampires. She needs to know." Rebekah informed him, though she was sure that he was already well aware of the situation.

"Bekah, I cannot do that. She would never agree to marry me if I told her the truth before, she must love me first." Klaus explained, swirling the glass in his hand while watching the fire in front of him, "Then maybe it won't be so hard to accept."

"I am positive she already does love you Nik and you must love her as well if you are willing to do all of this. You have never gone through such lengths before simply to get a woman in your bed. If that was all you were really after you would have worked harder to seduce her, or you would have compelled her by now." Rebekah tried, standing in front of her brother blocking his view of the fire.

"Has she told you that she loves me?" Klaus whispered, not daring to look his sister in the eye.

"That is not for me to tell you. Tomorrow you will marry her Nik and I beg you to tell her the truth before you are intimate with her. She needs to know everything Nik, otherwise, how are you sure she is in love with the real you, and not only the mask you wear for her?" Rebekah pointed out, feeling proud of herself for having such a deep insight into her brother.

"How do you know that I do not the wear the mask around everyone else?" He asked, finally meeting her blue eyes with his own.

"That isn't a question for me to answer. I cannot force you on this, nor will I tell her, but I wish you would listen to me every now and then." Rebekah replied and stormed out of the room, not wishing to talk to her stubborn brother any longer.

* * *

"Are you ready to see the finished dress?" Rebekah asked the waiting bride, who was just standing there in undergarments.

"Of course, but I do not know why you insisted on white, everyone knows I am no maid." Caroline said as she watched Rebekah open the wardrobe.

"You may not be and my brother is no innocent either, but this is something I want you both to remember forever." Rebekah told her and turned holding the dress in front of her, watching Caroline intently.

"Oh my." Caroline whispered and reached out to touch the delicate looking fabric. Her fingers touched the lace carefully, "This must have cost a fortune."

"It was nothing of consequence." Rebekah assured her, the smile on the younger girls face larger than Caroline had ever seen.

Caroline did not say a word as Rebekah helped her into the magnificent gown, tracing the fabric with just her fingertips. "Bekah, I don't know if I can do this." She said suddenly, her emotions just taking her by surprise.

"Why not? I thought you said you were falling in love with my brother?" Rebekah asked, walking to stand in front of Caroline.

"I am but what if I am not good enough? I have….I was never good enough before. And look at this Bekah? I am not worth all of this." Caroline gestured, looking at herself in the mirror, and barely recognizing the woman looking back. The lace and jewels seemed as if they belonged to a beautiful princess, not just some high-born widow.

"Yes, yes you are." Rebekah insisted, and led Caroline to sit down on a padded bench. Rebekah kneeled in front of her friend, not caring if she wrinkled her own dress, "You are the first person in over….in a long time that has caused my brother, or myself, to feel anything for someone not a member of our own family. Only someone very special could do such a thing, especially after everything that we have been through. You are worth everything Caroline, I only hope that…we are worthy of you."

Caroline felt tears slip from her eyes at her friend's words and she silently vowed that she would spend the rest of her days proving herself deserving of the love she was getting from the woman in front of her and the man that awaited her downstairs.

* * *

Caroline was sure that everything happened at the normal pace and in the right colors but it was all a blur to her. She could remember seeing him standing there waiting for her, looking dashing in a well-tailored suit and a smile so huge she was sure that the entire world could see it. The reception dinner was just a mass of faces and kind words that she couldn't place because she was so focused on the hand that held her own and the man it belonged to.

She was restless now, waiting in her bedroom, playing with the nightgown Rebekah had given her for a wedding gift, a playful smirk on her lips as she had. Caroline was surprised at how nervous she was, it wasn't like she was the maiden she had been with Andrew their first night. She was grown and a full woman and she knew he was not new at this either, not that she minded as long as she was the last woman he touched.

There was a light knock at the door before it opened slowly and she bit her lip with shyness as Klaus carefully stepped into the room and closed the door behind him, never taking his eyes off of her from where she sat on the bed. "Hello love." He said sweetly, a devilish gleam in his eye that Caroline found rather attractive.

"Hello." She answered shyly, doing her best to keep eye contact as he got progressively closer. Caroline rose to her feet and felt her breathing hitch when he stopped just short of touching her.

"I have waited for what seems like forever for this moment." He whispered, his eyes lowering to her lips, his right hand circled her waist, and his left came up to caress her cheek, "For me to finally be able to touch you, without fear of you running away or someone interrupting us."

Her breathing was short with anticipation as she brought her hands to his chest, "I probably would not have fought too hard if you had tried before." She admitted, and raised herself to give him a light kiss on the lips, "From the moment I saw you, I knew you were going to change me." She lent in to kiss him again but he pulled away and stalled her.

"How could you possibly know that?" He asked, neither of their voices raising above a whisper.

Caroline could hear the fear of being rejected in his voice, "The way you looked at me, with want, with need. I had never been looked at like that before, it awakened something in me that I had long thought had been lost, hope. Hope that I could have something different than the life I had been given, been forced to have." She brought her hands to circle his neck, looping her fingers in his hair, "Do you have any idea how it feels to be wanted after so long of being used and neglected?"

He watched her eyes, looking for any sign of deception, but saw only a pain that mirrored his own, "I have an idea." He admitted and brought his lips to hers, slowly deepening the kiss. Cherishing every moment of the feel of her body pressed against his, even though their clothes were still between them he felt a heat, a need.

Caroline pulled away to breathe and sat on the bed, a seductive look in her eyes, "You are not going to just stand there are you?" She teased and winked at him.

Klaus was not sure what he found more attractive, the gleam in her eyes or the way her mouth teased him with her words, "I would never allow for such a thing my love." He answered and climbed into the bed next to her, capturing her lips again and pressing her flat onto the mattress.

Her hands found their way under his shirt and played with his muscled body while his own pulled at the fine material of her gown, he growled at the soft fabric, "How attached are you to this thing?" He asked between kisses.

"It was a gift from your sister, but I really did not expect to keep it past tonight." She whispered and brought his lips back to hers.

"Good." He muttered and ripped the material, leaving Caroline bare before him. He stared at her naked body, taken in by the beauty, "You are so perfect."

"No, I am not." She said, suddenly very conscious of her body, and shyly looked away from him.

"Yes, you are." Klaus replied, forcing her to look at him, "And to me, you will always be perfect."

Caroline smiled at his words, though she did not completely believe them, and changed the subject by tugging at his shirt, "Is it fair that you still have your clothes?"

Klaus laughed at her clever attempt to get them back to something else, "You are right sweetheart, it is not fair." He answered and he quickly stood from the bed and removed his clothes before he laid his naked body over hers, once again taking her lips.

His fingers slowly grazed over her bare skin, delicately touching every inch of it he could reach without breaking his lips from hers. She felt her breath hitch when one of his hands found her breast and started to tease her. Klaus smirked against her lips before pulling away to kiss down her neck, his hand never leaving its position, while is mouth ventured to the other breast. Caroline could feel her body temperature rising with his continued ministrations, though they were not in the place she so desperately wanted them to be.

"Klaus, please." Caroline begged, shifting her hips up to try and help guess what she really wanted.

"Are we getting impatient love?" He teased, while he moved his lips back to hers while moving his hand from her breast and down to her throbbing center. His fingers teased at her entrance, "I can tell how ready you are."

"Stop teasing me, haven't we waited long enough?" Caroline asked, giving him a pointing stare while circling her hand around his member, "Because I can tell you are ready as well."

"How right you are love." He answered before kissing her again and then he slowly eased into her feeling her gasp at the contact against his lips. He pulled away and looked in her eyes, checking to make sure he hadn't harmed her. Her hips slowly moved against him, urging him to continue. He smiled and kissed her again, this time expressing passion and need. He was happy to spend the rest of forever feeling her embrace.

* * *

Caroline awoke feeling more alive than she could ever remember feeling before, her first night with Klaus was better than anything she could have imagined. She felt a blush rise to her cheeks as she remembered their love making and felt a pleasant throb in her core. She also felt hungry and thirsty, though she was not at all surprised after her late night activities. As she moved to stand, an arm circled her waist, pulling her flush against a warm body, "I have a feeling you are thinking of getting up love."

"Only to eat." She whispered and turned so they were facing each other, trying not to lose the close contact, "I think we worked up quite the appetite last night."

"That we did, but I think we can work it up a bit more, do you not agree?" He smirked and kissed her roughly.

She pulled back with a laugh, and looked at him, "In the morning?"

"Why not love? No one ever said that love needed to be restricted to the night, something shameful to be hidden away." He said and stroked her cheek, and then his face fell, "You are not ashamed are you?"

"No!" She gasped, shocked that he would even think such a thing, she captured his face between her hands, "Klaus, I am not ashamed to be with you. I choose to marry you! I have chosen to be with you now and for however longer we have in this world. I will prove that to you everyday." Caroline told him, crushing her lips to his, trying to tell him with her body what she could not yet say with her words.

* * *

It was around midday when Klaus finally allowed her to leave the bed and their room. She caught herself smiling as one of the maids led her to the informal sitting room, where Rebekah was reading a book in the window. For the first time, Caroline realized it was raining outside.

Rebekah looked up as she entered the room, "There you are my sister." She smirked, "Issy, fetch the Lady Caroline something to eat, make sure it is hearty, she will need to regain her strength."

"Rebekah!" She scolded, but couldn't stop the blush and smirk from flooding her face.

"I am not innocent Caroline, I know what happens on wedding nights, and apparently well into the following day as well." Rebekah teased, and grabbed two glasses of wine before sitting down in a chair across form the fire, "Now, do I get you for the rest of the day, or is my brother only allowing you a brief respite from his affections?"

"I am all yours dear sister." Caroline assured her, taking a sip of the wine Rebekah handed her, she made a face at the taste but drank it all anyway, "I told him that we must have some time apart so he can learn to miss me."

"I like that." Rebekah said with a smile and a laugh, "Would you like some more?"

"Yes, what type is it?" Caroline asked, watching the fire.

"A local kind. Elijah gets bored and takes on hobbies, his latest is a winery, but I am afraid he is not very good at it." Rebekah said, shaking her head and handing back the glass, "We find it best though not to tell him and just suffer through."

"I have had worse." Caroline muttered and took just a sip this time before setting down the glass, "What were you thinking we shall do today?"

"Well, I was thinking the official tour, that way you will not need to rely on the servants to show you around everywhere." Rebekah commented, she was sure that a woman such as Caroline would like independence from the servants.

"That would be nice." Caroline agreed, and was amazed that she already felt more at home in this unfamiliar place than she had in her previous home, "Bekah, I can trust you to keep a secret can I not? Even from your brother?"

"Of course, I already have quite a few from him." Rebekah said and leaned in closer to Caroline, only to pull away when the door opened and Issy returned with a tray of food, "Thank you, just put it on the table. That will be all for now."

"Yes m'lady." She said with a curtsey and then walked away.

"Now, what is this secret?" Rebekah asked once the door was firmly shut again.

"I am in love with your brother." Caroline said firmly.

"But?" Rebekah countered, sensing it in her tone.

"I can tell he is holding something back from me. I can see it in his eyes, I can feel it in his muscles, it is almost like he is afraid he will hurt me, break me. How can I get him to trust me with whatever it is?" Caroline asked, thinking how selfish she sounded, they had not even been married a day yet and had known each other just over a month. No one can earn trust that quickly, though he had somehow found a way into her heart in that same time frame.

Rebekah paused, wondering how to proceed without breaking either the trust of her brother or her best friend, "Nik is a hard person to understand Caroline. He has had….problems in the past with the people he should be able to trust most. I have told him to not hold anything back from you, just give him a little more time. Do not push, just wait, he will tell you eventually and then I am sure you will understand."

"Are you sure?" Caroline asked, picking up her fork and cutting off a piece of the pork in front of her.

"Trust me here Caroline. Nik will tell you, just prove to him that you love him and he will prove it to you." Rebekah said, and looked at the plate sitting in front of her new sister before changing the subject, "Now eat, or we will never see the entire house before dinner. And we know you are booked after that."

Caroline blushed at what Rebekah was implying, and let the conversation go for now, _I will give him one month. One month to trust me with his secrets, or I will force them from him_. Caroline nodded at Rebekah and ate her food, which was delicious, and sipped the wine, hoping she would get used to the metallic taste eventually.


	8. A Deadly Truth

Caroline sat quietly in the lavish garden of her new home. For almost two months she had been married to Klaus, and she had never been happier. She had found that it was not only Klaus and Bekah she loved, but Elijah and Kol as well. Elijah treated her with a respect that she found refreshing, and he loved taking her through walks of his many gardens, finally happy to have someone to enjoy the beauty of his efforts. Kol had taken her longer to accept, after she realized his constant attempt to sleep with her was purely a joke to rile up Klaus, their friendship had developed easily. The first time she had been caught completely off guard and was saved by Rebekah. The second she played along until he was close enough and she kicked him in the groin. He was more cautious after that and made sure that all his jokes left him safely away from her body.

"There you are my love." Klaus said, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and kissing the top of her head before moving to sit next to her.

"I could not have been too hard to find, I come out here every sunny day at this time." She teased and gave him a proper kiss before pulling away and looking back at the scenery.

"You have been distant all week Care, is something bothering you?" He asked, and she could hear the concern in his voice, and could feel it in the tense of his arm.

Caroline paused, she had been distant, but only because she did not want to bring up what was bothering her. He was holding back, she could feel it whenever they were together, and he would disappear for long periods of time and only come to see her after he had washed. She did not want to believe that he was sleeping around, but her paranoid mind was leading her to that decision, "What are you keeping from me?"

She felt him become motionless at her side, but she was too afraid to see his face, "What are you talking about?"

"I am not an idiot. I know you are hiding something from me. I can feel the distance you keep between us. You disappear for long periods of time and always only come to see me after you have cleaned yourself up. What are you hiding from me Niklaus?" She said forcefully, finally looking up at his face. It was a blank mask, no emotions, except for his eyes, they were flooded with hurt, anger, and fear.

Caroline turned to face him fully, and reached up grabbing his face between her hands, and uttered the words she had been feeling but too afraid to say, "I love you Nik. I just wish you felt the same, then maybe you could trust me."

She lent in and placed a sweet kiss on his lips before standing and walking back into the house. Doing her best to remain strong and not let the tears pooling in her eyes fall, Caroline walked straight to her room and fell into a heap on the lavish bed wishing that its softness could calm the storm raging in her head.

* * *

A sudden dip to the bed awoke her from her uneasy sleep, and she felt his hand slowly glide up her arm. She kept her eyes firmly closed and tried to steady her breathing to make it seem as if she was still asleep.

"I know you are awake love." He said, and she could feel him pull away and assumed he was sitting up now, for his presence was still there, "That is fine, I will just talk, and when you are ready, you can answer. My family…we were not….born into this life as you were. We earned our way, and not in the most gallant nature either. As such, our childhood was not….easy….or full of love. Love is not something that comes easy to me, but I have fallen in love with you Caroline. There is just something about you that has infected me and it frightens me."

Caroline opened her eyes, but did not turn around, "I frighten you?"

"Yes, but I do not wish to lose you and if I tell you everything, that is exactly what will happen. Someone as pure and full of goodness as you will never want to be with someone like me." Klaus answered, watching her back closely, begging her to turn around but at the same time wishing she wouldn't so he could not see her disappointment.

"Klaus, I have already told you, I love you. I have left my family for you, though I am sure they would have gotten rid of me soon enough some other way." She sat up and turned to look at him, "Our wedding day was the happiest day of my life. I knew from the moment I saw you that day, I was hopelessly in love with you. We had never had more than two full conversations in private, in person, but I loved you, and I still do. Why can you not trust me? What must I do to prove myself to you?" Caroline begged him, forcing him to look her in the eyes, by cupping his face again, "What do I need to do to be enough for you?"

Klaus eyed her confused at her last statement, "You are more than enough for me, it is that I am not good enough for you." He tried to assure her, "I love you Caroline, more than I have ever loved anyone in my life."

"Then what is it?" She asked again, her voice harsh, and dropping her arms, "What are you so afraid of me to learn? Are you sharing the bed of another woman? Is that where you sneak off to everyday? To see some mistress?"

"No!" Klaus yelled, and he had to look away as he felt his anger take over, his face threatening to change, "I have not shared the bed of another woman since we meet, all I have been able to think about is you, and no one else."

"Then why will you not trust me? You claim to love me and you claim to want only me, but you will not tell me the truth. Where are you going, what are you keeping from me? I am your wife, not your servant, or your mistress, I demand the respect that I deserve. The respect that I thought you had for me, that you were the first to show me, something I never got from that bastard I was married to before." Caroline wasn't sure when it happened, but she had gotten off the bed and was now standing, her voice getting increasingly louder. A clap of thunder caused her to flinch, but she managed to keep her eyes trained on him, and she could see the tension in his features, like he was trying to keep an uneasy control. "Why can you not just trust me!"

Klaus snapped and was in front of her faster than she could blink, crushing his lips to hers, "I love you! Why can that not just be enough?" He whispered before pulling back and looking in her eyes, sighing at the fear and confusion he saw there.

"How did…..how did you….you move so fast?" She managed to say, trying to process everything that was happening.

Klaus paused and stepped away from her, afraid he would hurt her more than he already had, he turned away as he said, "You do not want to know the answer love."

Caroline took a deep breath to calm herself but another burst of thunder made her jump, her nerves were on edge. "I do want to know."

"This is what I am sweetheart." He said and turned around slowly, allowing his vampire face to surface and watched her eyes widen in shock, but was impressed that she did not scream, "I will not bother you again." He said and sped out the door, stopping just at the other side, he leaned against the hardwood with a sigh.

He heard her whisper, "I wish you would just trust me, I still love you, no matter what you are."

* * *

Caroline heard the tiny creak of the balcony door, and gave a small smile to herself, _I knew he would not be able to stay away_ , she thought. She remained perfectly still, watching the rain fall and lightening flash over the lavish grounds.

He sat down next to her slowly, probably trying not to frighten her. She waited until he stilled and closed the small distance between their bodies by leaning her head against his shoulder. He changed their positions by wrapping his arm around her waist causing her head to fall to his chest.

"Why did you not tell me sooner? Have I not proven my loyalty to you? My love?" She said suddenly, her voice full of confusion and hurt, but there was a hidden conviction lacing her words. She did not fear him, even now, after seeing his true face.

"I was afraid." He answered his voice rough, and laced with emotion, "I was afraid that you would leave me when you found out what I was. I am not a good man Caroline. I do not deserve you or your love."

"Both of those things are something I have the right to decide for myself. You cannot dictate what things I do and do not get to know about you. If you truly love me, like you claim to do, then there should be no secrets between us." She said and pulled away from him, turning her body so she was facing him, though she could not see his face in the darkness.

"You are right. I should not have treated you as I did. Please believe me when I say it was not because I do not trust you, or do not love you. It had everything to do with my own insecurities….things have happened to me in the past that…..have affected my ability to…." He said to her, and she wished she could see his face.

"Let someone in completely?" She suggested, trying to finish his sentence, thinking back on all of the things she had heard him say.

"Yes." He said firmly, and she could tell he was trying to turn off his emotions, trying to be strong and distant.

"Do not do that Niklaus!" She yelled at him, grabbing his hand, and forcing him to notice her, "You are not allowed to shut off your emotions around me. Do not think you are the only one who has even been hurt by someone that is supposed to love them, do you forget where and in what situation you found me?"

"I could never forget." He whispered, "And I have another lie to confess to."

"You have not lied to me." She said forcefully, "I understand why you did not tell right away that you are….are a…" She stumbled over the word, for she did not know what to call him.

"The word you are looking for is vampire." He provided, "And yes, I have lied to you. But I will confess everything to you now, and I am sure it will change your mind about everything you think of me."

"I doubt there is anything you could have done to change my feelings." She muttered, but stayed silent as he started to talk.

"The first night I saw you was not at the ball, it was less than a week earlier, outside of your house. I was walking through the neighborhood, on my way to a pub in the lower town. I heard your argument and hid across the street, I found something about your attitude toward your husband and father…intriguing. I devised the ball as a reason to see you again and truthfully, I had no intention of being a gentleman, I was somewhat hoping that you would be…."

"A floosy like all the other ladies in this town?" She huffed, not being able to help herself.

"Yes." He answered honestly, "I was pleasantly surprised to see that you were friends with Rebekah, she has never had a friend before. It intrigued me even further, and after our little dance, I realized that I wanted more from you than a single night of pleasure. I also did not want to ruin my sister's only chance of happiness."

"This lie is not something that should cause me to think less of you." Caroline said, confused at his logic, "This is sweet."

"That is not what will make you hate me. What I tell you next will." He paused, and took a deep breath, "I could not stand the thought of having another man touch you, especially one that I could see you were so unhappy with. One of the side effects of what I am means that I can control the actions of others. I compelled Andrew to never touch you again." He could tell she was going to interrupt, "Let me finish. That was not enough though, I wanted you, and that want was rapidly becoming a need. So, I did what I do best, I found a way to get what I wanted. You."

Caroline pulled back and looked at him, she was not lying when she said she was no idiot, her voice was harsh, and accusing, "Did you kill Andrew? Did you kill my husband so I would be free to be yours?"

"Yes." He answered simply, his voice without regret, for he did not feel any, "I told you, I take what I want, and I wanted you."

Caroline felt her heart and mind racing with conflicting feelings, "Am I just some prize to you? Something you no longer want now that you have me? Are you going to…compel me to forget this entire conversation?"

"No!" He yelled, "No to all your questions. I love you! And I have done everything to protect you since you became mine. I have made it impossible for you to be compelled."

"What! How could you do that?" Her confusion only increasing the longer this conversation went on.

"There is a special herb that prevents compulsion and also makes your blood poisonous to us. I have been slipping it into your afternoon tea to make sure it never leaves your system. It has been to protect you, from other vampires, but mostly from myself." Klaus told her, "I know this is a lot for you to handle right now. If you like, we can continue this conversation later."

"No, not later, but I would like to continue this inside." She said, and stomped off into the room. She could feel him following her slowly, "Tell me what it means to be a vampire, because you are saying a lot of things that are making no sense to me." She sat in the chair in front of her fireplace, pleased with the warmth it provided.

He gracefully sat in the opposite chair, "My family and I are the first vampires, our parents turned us protect us from death. We are immortal, and almost impossible to kill. We survive by drinking the blood of people, in the beginning we could not control it, I have killed a lot of people Caroline. Some of them on accident, many more of them on purpose. The herb I have given you prevents our mind control, and is poisonous to us, it burns intensely if we touch it directly. Sunlight is also deadly, we cannot go out in it without catching on fire, except for special rings my mother created for us, protecting us from the sun. Also, we cannot enter a house without being invited by a member of the household." He stopped, watching as her face showed so many different emotions as she tried to take in everything he was saying.

Caroline was silent for a long time, her mind racing in circles around each bit of information. First, she was married to a vampire. Second, his entire family was vampires. Third, vampires were creatures that lived by consuming the blood of non-vampires. Fourth, Klaus had done everything he could to make sure she was protected, not only from him, but from his family as well. Fifth, he confessed to the murder of Andrew, and a countless number of other people. "How old are you then really?" Was for some reason the first thing to pop out of her mouth.

"I will forever be 24, but I was born over two hundred years ago." He answered, watching her face intensely.

"How many times have you been married then?" She asked next, not really wanting to know the answer.

Klaus knelled in front of her, taking her hands in his, and looked up at her face, "I have only ever been married to you. In my entire existence I have only loved two women, and I realize now that what I felt before was not love, not when it is compared to what I feel for you." He confessed to her, trying to get her to look at him, but her eyes refused to meet his, "I love you Caroline and I will do anything you ask of me. If you want me to leave and never talk to you again, I will understand. Just tell me what to do."

She finally looked into his eyes, blue meeting blue, and she could see the love shining there, but also the rejection, he had already decided what she was going to do before she had spoken a word. Caroline slowly reached up a hand and ran a finger over his lips, those lips that kissed her senseless only that morning, that had spoken the beautiful words that made her fall in love with him. And she still loved him, despite his secrets, and despite what he was. "I love you Niklaus, what I feel for you…..I have never felt before. So, right now, what I want, is for you to take me to bed. Make love to me, prove to me that you truly love me. And, tomorrow, I will need you to explain this all to me again."

Klaus looked at her in complete shock, she wasn't running away, she did not even seem to be afraid of him. She wanted to still be intimate with him, still wanted to spend her life with him, "Are you sure?"

Caroline slid off of the chair, and moved so she was straddling his hips, she cupped his face with her hands, "I have never been more sure." She answered, and closed the distance with her lips, knowing that tomorrow, in the daylight, her mind would be running wild, but, now, in this moment, all she wanted was to feel him around her.

* * *

Klaus watched her sleep with eyes that showed his every emotion. He was worried that when she woke she would change her mind, and all her previous words of love and assurance would disappear. He wouldn't blame her either, she was married to a monster.

She shifted her shoulders, causing the blanket to fall from her shoulders. It gave him a full view of her bare back with her blonde hair cascading down it gently. She truly was the most beautiful woman he had ever met, and not just in her appearance but in her heart. He was sure there was not another woman in the world that would have stayed with him after he shared that he was a vampire and had murdered her husband.

The woman lying in his bed made him feel so many emotions that before he had met her he was sure were things he was incapable of experiencing. He loved her, completely. He would do anything to protect her, not only from others but from himself. It was why he was ready to let her be if she asked him to, whether it was for a day or for the rest of her life. He was sure that if she asked for the latter though, it would destroy him and send him into a spiral worse than what he felt when the hunters curse had plagued him for all those decades.

Klaus was quiet as he pulled the blanket back up to cover her up again, not wishing for her to get cold. The amount he cared was truly surprising. He had never spent the entire night with a woman before his wedding night, but he had spent every night with her since then and the thought of spending even one away from her caused him to think dangerous things.

The fragile human woman had buried herself in his soul, he closed his eyes and whispered into the darkness, "I love you Caroline."

He still remembered the first time he had uttered the words to her. It had a been a night about two weeks after their wedding:

_She had surprised him in his studio, a place he rarely allowed another soul except when they insisted. Kol had been banned on the threat of a dagger to the heart if he ever stepped foot in the room again after he made fun of the art work Klaus was doing for whole 'Sun and Moon Curse' charade._

_She had smiled sweetly at him, her hair was damp causing him to ask, "Did you get caught out in the storm love?"_

" _Yes, I was helping Elijah with his roses when the rain hit." Caroline answered as she moved closer to him and the roaring fire he was sitting in front of. But she didn't take the other chair, instead she bent over and took his sketch pad out of his hands and placed it on the nearby table. She then put herself in his lap, straddling him before leaning down to place a long, lingering kiss on his lips._

_Klaus groaned when she pulled away from him, "Hmmmm, should we get rid of those wet clothes? I would hate for you to catch a cold."_

" _That is exactly why I came to you." She teased before leaning in to extract another kiss from him._

_Klaus moved his hands to start undoing the strings on the back of her dress, but was forced to stop once they were fully loosened as she stood up from his lap. He looked at her confused and asked, "Where are you going?"_

_Caroline didn't respond, instead she just smirked at him and slowly peeled the dress of her body. Leaving her standing in front of him, perfectly framed by the light of the fireplace in only her corset and the rest of her undergarments. Caroline smiled at him and gave a slow turn, "Do you like what you see my lord?"_

_Klaus nodded and moved to grab for her, intent on showing her just how much he enjoyed the view, but she side stepped him, "Now, did I give you permission to touch?"_

_Klaus gave her a wide-eyed look, "Are you teasing me love?"_

" _I would never do such a devious thing." She replied, but still refused to move any closer to him. Instead she reached behind her and pulled on the strings of her corset, deftly untying the piece of clothing. When she had finished with laces, she carefully dropped the corset to join her dress, "I am simply getting out of my wet clothes."_

_Klaus hungrily watched as his wife slowly finished getting rid of her clothes, until she was standing completely naked in front of him. He got up and approached her slowly, and started to circle her, like a predator does it's prey, "And now that you are out of your clothes, what is your plan?"_

_Caroline smiled at him and walked over to the second chair and picked up his sketch book, "Maybe I will try my hand at drawing. Care to be my subject?"_

_Klaus couldn't help up at laugh at how sweet she looked sitting in the chair with his sketch book in hand, and her body on full display. The words that came out of his mouth next were completely on reflex, and not of conscious thought, "I love you."_

_Caroline felt her teasing smile fall from the shock before a new a smile graced her lips, "What did you just say?"_

_He took a step back, surprised at the words that had just left his lips. He found though, he didn't regret saying them. Klaus knelled down in front of the chair that held the woman who held his heart and repeated his previous statement, "I love you Caroline, with all of my heart."_

_Her smile got larger before she threw the book in her hands aside and leaned forward, "I love you too Niklaus."_

_Klaus released a breath he had known he was holding and reached up so he could kiss and her that time, she let him._

Caroline turned over in her sleep and her arm brushed his side, waking him from his memory. He looked down at the woman, and hoped with all his being that in the light of day, she still did not see him like a monster and only as her loving husband, because that is all he wanted to be.


	9. A Time for Answers

She could feel his warmth surrounding her as she fluttered her eyes open, sunlight streaming through the open curtain. His arm was secured firmly around her waist, keeping her pinned against his side with her head on his chest. Caroline slowly lifted her head and looked at his sleeping face, the only time she thought he looked as innocent as he really was at heart. "It is rude to stare my love." He whispered, a smirk forming on his lips.

"Only at things that are not yours." She answered and kissed his bare chest, before allowing her head to fall back to it.

"And I am yours, now and forever." Klaus replied, kissing the top of her head, "Do you want to talk more about it?"

"I think I am mostly still just confused about everything that it means to be a vampire." She whispered, snuggling deeper into him, unsure if she was making sure he couldn't leave her or to ensure that she didn't leave him.

"Where would you like me to start?" He asked, his voice careful and tense.

"You said you could not go in the sun without a magical ring or you would die, is there anything else that can kill a vampire?" She was amazed at her own question, but she assumed if he told her that it would prove that he trusted her.

"Yes, a normal vampire can be killed by an over-exposure to vervain, a wooden stake through the heart, beheading, removal of the heart, fire or a bite from a werewolf. As an Original though, it is nearly impossible to do any such thing or to be even assured that it would work. Obviously we have not tried the beheading, or heart removal, but the others have proved to be unsuccessful." Klaus answered her honestly.

"You said you were over three hundred years old, will you live forever?" Caroline couldn't even really fathom what living forever would even entail.

"Yes, we will never die." He replied, and Caroline caught a hint of something that sounded like regret.

"So, I will grow old and die, but you will forever remain like you are now?" She couldn't imagine that either, him always looking like he did now and her graying with age.

"Yes, I will always look the same. If you wish, you may grow old, and live a normal life, I will respect your decision…." He couldn't bring himself to finish his sentence.

"My decision? I could become like you if I wished?" She asked, sitting up, and looking over her shoulder to look at him.

"I can make you a vampire Caroline. We could be together for the rest of time." He responded, doing his best to stop himself from dragging her back down to him, "But that is not something we need to discuss right now."

"You would want me with you for the rest of time?" Caroline asked, astonished that he would even suggest it.

"Of course, I told you. There is no one I have ever loved more than you and I never want to lose you." He told her, not sure why she was still so hesitant to believe him.

"How did you become a vampire?" Caroline questioned, and twisted her body around so she was sitting facing him, instead of having to look over her side.  
"That is a very long, complicated, and ugly story." He answered, trying to evade the question.

"You promised to tell me everything." Caroline pointed out, giving him a glare for good measure.

Klaus let out a sigh as he admitted defeat, "We grew up in a land that is across the ocean, very few people know that it even exists. I was born there, we all were. My parents relocated to that part of the world after the death of an older brother to a plague. They wanted to raise their family somewhere without a constant fear of death against something they couldn't prevent. Well, they weren't as right about our new home as they wished they could be. My youngest brother, Henrik, was killed when he was sixteen by some creatures, werewolves, that lived in a nearby village. In response, my mother, who was a very powerful witch, turned my father, siblings and I into vampires, the first vampires." He gave her the shortened and least gory version he could think of.

"That sounds awful." Caroline commented, "So where is your father then? You said he was turned as well."

"That is an even more complicated story." Klaus responded and pushed himself off his back, swinging his legs over the edge of their large bed, "And I would rather not discuss it right now."

"Then we won't talk about it." Caroline told him, running her hand over his shoulders, "You can tell me about it when you are ready to share it. I am done pressuring you into telling me things before you are ready."

Klaus turned to look at her, "Tell me again why you are still here? What have I done to deserve this loyalty, this understanding?"

"Because I love you, with my entire being. I don't care what happened in your past, as long as I am allowed to be a part of your future." She responded, running a finger up and down his cheekbone.

"I will love you forever." He told her and gave her a long lingering kiss, "And I promise never to keep anything from you again."

"That is all I ask." Caroline replied and gave him another long kiss. When they separated she said, "I think I will go for a walk through the market today. I think all the business will do me some good as I think on this some more."

"Of course. Take as much time as you need. I promise not to pressure you into making any decisions." Klaus told her, and pressed a kiss to her forehead, "I love you."

* * *

Klaus entered the main sitting room with a sigh, and he immediately poured himself a strong glass of liquor. Elijah looked up from the parchment he was reading and Kol stopped interrogating their sister about her whereabouts during the night.

"Nik, are you alright?" Rebekah asked as Klaus sat down in a chair next to Elijah.

"I told Caroline everything last night." He answered before downing half of his drink.

"Did she leave?" Kol questioned, moving to sit closer to his brothers, Rebekah close behind him.

Once all his siblings were seated around the fire, Klaus answered, "No, she didn't. She is being very understanding, and accepting of everything."

"Are you sure? I don't see how any woman would be happy with the amount of lies we have shared with her over the last few months. Or be okay with the fact that she is now a member of a family of monsters." Kol put out there, having a hard time believing his brother's words.

"I would have the thought the same thing, but she does not feel that way. Caroline says that she loves me, and that is more than enough for her to look past what I am, what we all are." He told them, and finished off his drink.

"Does she know the truth behind her previous husband's death?" Elijah inquired, carefully watching his younger brother.

"Yes, she figured that out on her own." Klaus answered and went to pour himself another drink.

"Where is Caroline now?" Rebekah asked, she was very concerned for the well-being of her best, and only friend.

"Getting ready to go the market, she wants a little distraction and time to herself." He responded, not looking away from his task.

Rebekah flashed from the room before any of her brothers could even think of what to say on Klaus' statement.

Klaus turned and looked at his brothers, "She went to talk to her, didn't she?"

"Of course. Rebekah loves Caroline as well, we all do. She wants to make sure she is alright." Elijah replied, "Did you ask her to turn?"

"I gave her the option, she has not yet told me her intentions about it." Klaus replied.

"She needs to be quick about it. We have already been here almost three years, he is going to find us soon, he always does." Kol reminded them, wishing that they didn't have to live their lives with so much worry.

"I am aware of that Kol, but we must give her time. This is a lot to take in." Klaus said with a glare aimed at his younger brother, "Do not bother her about it. Do you understand?"

"Yes, I understand." Kol replied with a huff before he left the room, "Just don't let her think too long Nik, or you might regret it."

Klaus and Elijah were silent as they watched Kol leave. Once he was gone, Elijah said, "He isn't wrong. The longer she stays human, the more danger she is in. I know you know this, but I just want to make sure you are thinking about it."

Klaus just nodded his response, and lost himself to his thoughts as Elijah returned to his papers.

* * *

Caroline was about to open the door to head out to the carriage when a hand stopped her. She turned around and was met with the blue eyes of her best friend, "Care, I can talk to you for a little bit please?"

"Of course Bekah." Caroline replied with a small smile and followed her sister into a sitting room just off the entrance hall, "What do you want to talk about?"

Rebekah sat down in one of the many chairs before saying, "I wanted to apologize for not telling you the truth about my family before. I feel like I betrayed you in some way. I told Nik to tell you sooner, before you were together on your wedding night."

Caroline noticed that tears were pooling in Rebekah's eyes, and quickly sat on her knees in front of her, and took Rebekah's hands in hers, "I don't blame you for anything, nor am I mad at you. You are my best friend, and I love you."

"Nik said you were very understanding and accepting, but I don't see how you can be. We lied to you for months, and I lied to you for almost a year. It is my fault you are even a part of this family now. How do you not hate me for putting you in this kind of danger?" Rebekah asked, some of the tears falling down her face.

"Bekah, I don't blame you for anything. You changed my life in the best possible way. When I met you, I was in such a dark, lonely place, and you saved me. You gave me something to look forward to, and that was what I really needed. Introducing me to Klaus was by far the best thing you could have done. I am truly happy Bekah. I love being a part of your family, and I could never hate you for allowing me to become a part of it." Caroline told the younger looking girl.

Rebekah looked at her friend and said, "I will never lie to you again Caroline, that I can promise you. I have never had a friend like you in my entire life, all three hundred years of it. Even before you married Nik, I considered you my sister and I will do everything I can for the rest of our lives to never let you down again."

"I don't think that you have let me down, but I feel the same way. I will never betray you Rebekah, my dear sister." Caroline promised the blonde and pulled her into a tight embrace.

* * *

Three days after she had learned of his immortal state, Caroline found herself sitting in the library. It was dreary afternoon and had left her stuck inside, much to her displeasure, but it was something that was not uncommon at this time of year. She heard the door open and footsteps approach her, "I was wondering if you were going to return." She said and turned to look at the man standing nearby, "You said you would be…" She stopped when she took in her husband, it was not who she was expecting. She put on a smile, "Oh, Nik. What are you doing in here?"

"I ran into Rebekah in the hallway, I hope you don't mind, but I asked her to occupy her time with something other than you." He responded and sat down on the long sofa with her.

"I always love seeing you." Caroline replied, unsure with whatever the look was that had was on his face, "What is wrong my love?"

"Do you remember when you asked about my father?" Klaus asked, not looking at her, instead his eyes were focused on the fire in front of them.

"Yes, and if you remember I said I would not ask about him again." Caroline pointed out, and put her book down on the table next to her empty cup of tea as she sat up to look at him.

"Mikael, my father, is not a good man Caroline. He has hated me for as long as I can remember, and turning me into a vampire only seemed to heighten that hatred." Klaus started to say, not waiting to give any sort of warning for his story, "For the last three centuries Mikael has been hunting me, like an animal. He wishes to kill me."

Caroline gasped at the information, and took his hand into her own, "I am so sorry. Why does he wish to kill you, his own son?"

Klaus flinched at her choice of words, "I am not his son." Klaus told her, "My mother had an affair with a man, a werewolf."  
"How could you know this?" Caroline asked, trying to see why this would still led to anyone wanting to kill a child they had raised.

"To become a werewolf, you must trigger the curse by killing a human being. The curse is passed down from parent to child, and you must be born a werewolf, you cannot be made. When I became a vampire, I committed my first human kill. Though I was a vampire, I was also still a werewolf, and so I am a combination of both." Klaus explained to her, and finally tore his eyes away from the flames to look at her, "Transforming into a werewolf revealed my true parentage, turning Mikael against me, and my mother. She placed a powerful curse on me that prevents me from accessing that part of myself, or from creating more like me."

"That is a horrible to thing to do, especially for something that was beyond your control." Caroline stated her thoughts aloud, horrified at the actions of his parents.

Klaus was pleased that he was on her side, but doubted she still would be after he shared the next bit of information, "Caroline, I told you no more lies, and I meant them, but what I am about to tell you must remain between just the two of us."

Caroline nodded, "Of course, I would never betray your trust."

"I tore out my mother's heart when I found out that she cursed me." Klaus told her and looked away, he was still ashamed of himself for letting his anger control him like that, "I told my siblings that Mikael had done it out of scorned pride for her infidelity."

Caroline gasped at his confession, not exactly sure how to react. She knew he had every right to be angry with his mother, but she couldn't see how killing her had been the correct course of action. But, she also knew that there was probably much more to the story, things that only he would understand because he had been the one to experience it. Caroline took a deep breath and said, "Thank you for telling me."

Klaus wasn't sure what he had been expecting, but he knew that what she just said wasn't it. He turned to look at her, his eyes full of amazement, "You aren't going to yell or call me something terrible for killing my mother?"

"I cannot say that I understand what you did, but I am sure you had justifiable reasons. I can also see that what you did hurts you, that you regret your actions. That is what truly matters." Caroline informed him, "It does not change my feelings about you."

Klaus smiled at her and brought her in for a kiss, "Thank you for your acceptance. I don't know what I would do without you."

Caroline just smiled back at him, "Hopefully you will never have to find out." She leaned in for another kiss but he pulled away, "Is there something else?"

"Have you given any thought to becoming a vampire?" He asked her, his eyes searching hers frantically.

"I am still thinking on it. You told me I could have as much time as I needed. Has something happened to change that?" Caroline asked, annoyed that he was asking this of her right now.

"Not yet, but I worry." He let out a long breath before continuing, "Mikael is constantly hunting for us. We move every few years to try and stay a few steps ahead of him. Kol has reminded me that we have been here for three years, and there has been a lot of popularity surrounding the family lately."

"Because of Rebekah's party and then the wedding." Caroline inserted, seeing where he was going with his thoughts.

"Yes, Mikael was sure to have heard about them. I am afraid of what he will do to you if he comes across you before we can protect you. As a human you are much more vulnerable then you would be as a vampire." Klaus explained to her, "I just don't want to lose you."

"Have you heard anything about Mikael being here?" Caroline asked, hating how everything just seemed to be piling on her all at once.

"No, we have not, but we have started to prepare the house for a rapid move if it is needed." He told her, "Elijah's birthday is this weekend. We are going to discuss everything in more detail then and you will be a part of it. You are a member of this family, and will have a say in what we do."

"Can I have until then to come up with my decision?" She asked, looking down at their joined hands resting in her lap.

Klaus squeezed her hands, "Yes you can. I am sorry if it seems like I sprung this on you."  
Caroline gave him a small smile, "I know you are pressuring this because you care, and you love me."

"You are too good for me my love." Klaus replied and gave her a long, leisurely kiss.

Caroline giggled when he pulled away, "I don't think you give yourself enough credit." She replied and gave him a kiss of her own, "What should I get Elijah for his birthday?"

Klaus raised his eyebrows at her, "That is an interesting change of subject."

"You are the one that mentioned it." She reminded him, her brain already trying to figure out what to get the eldest member of their family, "What are you getting him?"

"I honestly hadn't thought about it." Klaus replied, laughing at her insistence that a gift was required, "But I will get to thinking about it right away."

"Good, I think I will head into the market tomorrow, and see what ideas I can get from there." Caroline told him, she already had an idea, and hoped they would be available.

"Just promise me you will be careful." He asked of her, and was seriously considering going with her, though he really disliked shopping.

"I will ask Rebekah to come with me to help ease your worry." She promised, and was rewarded with a gracious smile.

"Thank you. I love you so much." Klaus replied and pulled her in for another kiss, hoping that soon he would be able to kiss her without having to hold anything back.


	10. An Unwelcome Encounter

Caroline smiled sweetly at the vendor selling some silks from Italy, "I do not think I am interested today. But thank you for your compliment."

"Are you sure Lady Davies? The fabric will bring out your eyes." The vendor asked again, his toothy smile reveling that he was missing a few teeth.

"Yes Sampson, I am sure." She replied with a nod farewell and moved on toward the seed seller. Ever since Klaus had told her of Elijah's upcoming birthday she was sure he would appreciate some new rose seeds. His latest attempt to grow the beautiful flowers had failed.

The man standing in the seed stall was not the man she usually saw. This man had dark blonde hair, with icy blue eyes and his smile was not inviting like she thought it should be, instead it sent a chill up her spine. She considered just turning around and avoiding this man, but she wouldn't have another chance to come to the market before Elijah's birthday dinner. So, she straightened her back and smiled at the man as she stopped in front of the stall.

"Good day my lady, what can I assist you with today?" The man asked, his eyes dancing with joy and hate.

The latter emotion caught Caroline off guard, but she spoke with a solid voice that gave away none of her concerns, "I was hoping that Jasper would have some new rose seeds. Where might he be today?"

"His wife has fallen ill. I am his neighbor, he asked if I would be kind enough to work his wares today. As he still needs to try and make a living." The man responded, but Caroline felt in her heart it was a lie, "My name is Mikael."

The name sent a cold feeling through Caroline's body, and she felt it wrap around her heart. It was not an uncommon name, she had known many Michaels in her life, but this one gave her a sense of danger. Also, the smirk he currently held on his face reminded her of Kol, and his eyes were the same shade as Rebekah's, who she wished she had not allowed to leave her not even twenty minutes earlier. The thing keeping her from running away while screaming her head off was all the other people around, that would keep him in line if it was in fact the Mikael that Klaus had told her so much about. "That is very kind of you sir. Do you have rose seeds?"

"I do believe I have a few." He replied and reached down to grab a bag. He presented it to her, and Caroline took in the contents, they were in fact rose seeds.

"Lovely, I will take them." She answered with a sweet smile and removed the coins from her purse, "I am sure this will cover it."

"More than enough my lady." He replied and his fingers grazed hers when she reached for the bag. Caroline was shocked by the coldness of his skin and raised her eyes to his, which was exactly what he had intended. Caroline stood still has Mikael's hand tightened around hers, keeping her locked in place, and his eyes dilated, "You will answer every question I ask honestly, and you will not run away or scream. Do you understand me?"

Caroline had to think quickly, the vervain in her system prevented her from being compelled. She knew that was what he was trying to do because she had Klaus demonstrate it for her one evening while they were in bed. So, she did the only thing she could think of to ensure she remained alive, "I understand."

He smiled, a wicked smile that frightened her down to her very soul, "Excellent. You are in fact Caroline Forbes, married to Niklaus Davies?"

"Yes, I am." She replied, knowing that there was no reason to lie. She was sure this was a test question to see if the compulsion took.

"Do you love your husband?" He questioned her.

"With all my heart." Caroline responded without hesitation, nothing could ever make her lie about her feelings for Klaus.

"And do you believe he loves you?" Mikael asked, his blue eyes burning with rage.

"Yes." Caroline answer, confused with where this line of questioning was going.

Mikael took a short pause before asking, "Has he told you what he is?"

"My husband is an Original vampire, with his siblings, but they are not as bad as the myths and stories would make one believe." She answered, knowing that adding that last bit would annoy him.

"He may have told you this, but he doesn't love you enough to protect you." He told her before his eyes locked on hers once again, and Caroline remained stock still, "When you return home tonight, and he comes to join you in bed, I want you to refuse him. Tell him that your heart has changed, you no longer love him and wish to never see him again. You have taken a lover, you will tell him, and it is with that man that you want to spend the rest of your life with. Tell him that no one could ever love a monster like him, not with all the crimes he has committed." Mikael watched her with uncaring eyes as tears started to escape Caroline's eyes, "Do you understand what your task is?"

"Yes, I must convince Klaus that I don't love him. Why, why are you doing this?" She asked in return, trying to fight back the tears that she hadn't meant to shed. They were a combination of pain from his grip and her heart crying for the thoughts he had now placed in her head, even if she did not have to actually act out his sick game.

"He is an abomination that deserves to die, but he should be destroyed first. And if he loves you as much as you claim, losing you to another man will cause him to spiral out of control, and that makes him weak. Leaving me with the perfect opportunity to ram the white oak stake into his heart, right where it belongs." Mikael told her, still believing her to be under his compulsion, "You of course will not share a word of this. Now, take your seeds and head home. You have a husband to disappoint."

Caroline clenched the seeds tightly in her hand and quickly turned on her heel. She practically ran through the market, not caring that the other ladies were giving her odd looks. All she could think about was getting back to the mansion and telling Klaus about this. They needed to run while they still could.

Due to her wayward thoughts, she didn't see the woman in front of her until they had collided. The woman, who was slightly taller than Caroline, and obviously much stronger prevented Caroline from taking a horrible fall to the dirty ground. Caroline immediately started to apologize, "I am so sorry. I was not paying attention to where my feet were taking me."

"It was no trouble to me my lady." The woman replied sweetly.

Caroline took a moment to study the woman, she was older than Caroline, but probably not by more than a few years. Her clothes suggested she had money, but her way of speaking suggested she had not been born into it. Her strength did not fit with her stature, which was not lean but there was no muscle mass to support it. Her hair was a shade of red that Caroline had not seen before, and it accented her pale skin perfectly. She reminded Caroline of a picture she had seen in Klaus' study, of people from his past, he had not been happy with her for snooping, she had only had time to see two pictures. The one of the red haired woman in front of her and of a beautiful brunette in a strange dress, neither picture had had a name associated with it. It was because of this she decided that this woman was a vampire, that just seemed to be her luck today, "What might your name be?"

"Would be willing to accompany me for a walk Lady Davies?" The woman asked, but it was clear to Caroline she really did not have much of a choice.

"I am in need to return home, there is some very important news that I must share with my husband." Caroline rebuffed, hoping that there was a way to get out of this. She was also wondering how her luck had turned out like this, two meetings with vampires in the same afternoon.

"Maybe then I can walk with you? I am sure you could do with some company on your way back up to the upper town." The woman pressed, and Caroline could see the annoyance starting to play in her eyes.

"I have a carriage waiting for me on the edge of the market square, but I thank you for your offer. Now, as you have yet to tell me your name, or why you wish to speak to me, I will be on my way." Caroline insisted and moved to step around the persistent woman, but she just blocked the way.

"I saw you talking with Mikael, I overheard your conversation. I just want to help you, and then perhaps, you will help me in return. As for my name, it is Sage." She answered, and she seemed to be convinced that she had won.

"I don't know what you think you heard, or how you think you could possibly help. I really must be going." Caroline tried again, but was stalled.

"I just want the man I love back Caroline. You are allowed to have happiness with yours, all I ask is for the same opportunity. I have been watching you for weeks, I know that you love Klaus, and he seems to love you. Please, I want my Finn back, ask him about the brother he likes to keep in a box. I will contact you as soon as I can. Though, my guess is that it will be in a different place, at a different time. Mikael is always causing them to move." Sage told her, and was gone before Caroline could blink.

All of this was getting to be too much for Caroline, in the matter of an hour her life had been completely turned upside down. She had no idea who Finn was, Klaus had never mentioned having another brother, or Sage. Mikael she had heard too much about to not be afraid, so she would focus on him, and worry about the mysterious redhead some other time.

* * *

Klaus was lost in thought as he tried to figure out his next move. Elijah had most of his pieces thoroughly trapped, and he was starting to believe there was no chance for a victory this time around.

Elijah seemed to have realized this as well, "Ready to admit defeat Nikalus?"

Klaus glared at his elder brother, "When have I ever done that?" He replied and moved his bishop, refusing to give up on what he was quickly coming to realize was a lost cause.

Elijah did not have time to reply or make a move before the door to the room burst open and a terrified looking Caroline ran in. Her normally perfect hair was slightly tousled, as if she had been nervously running her hands through it, and her knuckles were bone-white as they clenched around a bag in her hands. Elijah got to his feet in an instant, but Klaus was quicker and was holding her in his arms.

"What happened?" He asked her, his eyes scanning over her body for any sign of injury, "Are you hurt?"

"I….I ran into a man at the market." She stuttered out, and Klaus had to support her as she nearly collapsed, "He told me do such horrible things."

Klaus carefully placed her in his now vacant chair, "Who was this man? Where did you met him?"

"In the market, when I was buying Elijah some new seeds." Caroline replied, feeling safer instantly as she looked into Klaus' eyes. She passed the bag of seeds to a confused Elijah, feeling that if nothing else, she would as least complete her previous goal, "Happy birthday brother." She said with a sweet smile, and accepted his smile in return before turning back to Klaus, "He said his name was Mikael."

Elijah and Klaus immediately stood up, their back straight as boards and their eyes full of fear. Klaus turned to Elijah, "Go find Kol. I will send a servant to go fetch Bekah from her little lord's house, which is where I am assuming she is instead of with Caroline." Caroline nodded her head in confirmation, "We need to leave at once."

Elijah nodded and was gone in a flash, leaving Caroline and Klaus alone.

Klaus was in front of her as soon as Elijah had begun to move, "Did he touch you, did he harm you?"

Caroline shook her head, "No, he tried to compel me. He told me to tell you that I was in love with another man and that I wanted to leave you to be with him, because someone like me could never love a monster like you." The tears returned to her eyes, "It was so awful. I was forced to pretend that I agreed with the words, and it felt like I was betraying you in my heart."

Klaus cupped her face in his hands, "You only did what was necessary to survive, for which I am grateful. I cannot live without you Caroline. If you were to die, I would probably give up and just allow my father to kill me."

"Do not say such things." Caroline yelled at him, her despair gone at his words, "I am not dead, and he will not get another chance at me. I have faith that you will protect me for the rest of our lives together."

"I will always love you Caroline." Klaus told her and lent in for a strong, passionate kiss. When he pulled away, he also brought her up to her feet, "We must start to pack. I am sure there a few things you would like to bring along."

"Yes, just a few." She replied and followed him to their room, she could already tell that this would be the last time she would ever set foot in it.

* * *

She had always thought they would have more time before they were forced to run, and that she would be a vampire by then. She had made her decision to become one a few days after he had told her about himself, but she couldn't bring herself to tell him that. Now she really was wishing she had been less of a chicken, it would be helpful if she was a vampire and not some weak human right now.

"We are going to go to the estate in Rome." He told her as helped her climb up on her horse. Rebekah was waiting on a horse next to hers, Kol was ordering servants as they loaded stuff onto a wagon, she noticed that there was long box already safely secured, and it made her think of Sage. Elijah was nearby talking to the rest of the servants, and it seemed to her that he was compelling them. Klaus hopped onto his stallion, and came up alongside her, "The three of us are going to go ahead, Kol and Elijah will join us in a few days."

"Are you sure we should split up?" Caroline asked, she didn't want anything to happen to her brother-in-laws, and then she remembered her real brothers, "Do I have time to say goodbye to my family?"

Klaus looked at Rebekah, and seemed to asking her opinion before her looked at Caroline's face, he could see the underlying emotion play across her face, "We have the time."

"Thank you." She whispered as the three of them began the ride toward the Forbes family estate. Caroline tried to keep her emotions in check, but knowing you were riding to see your family for the last time was a heavy burden.

Caroline was careful to act worry free as she swung off her horse in front of the large mansion, she handed her reigns to a servant boy and rushed to the doors. With a heavy hand she rang the bell and Robert answered the door, "Lady Caroline, this is unexpected."

"Yes, I am aware. I am sorry for the unannounced visit Robert, but would my father and brothers happen to be home?" Caroline asked, not turning around when she heard the two set of approaching footsteps behind her, "It is very important that I speak with them."

"They are all currently having afternoon tea in the back garden." Robert explained, his eyes shifting between the three people standing in front of him.

"Perfect." Caroline said and walked past Robert, not caring if she was pushing her bounds, this was once her home afterall.

"We will just wait in the sitting room for you love." Klaus called behind her, and Robert took it as his duty to see to the Lord and Lady and allow Caroline to see to things herself.

Caroline did not respond to her husband and kept on walking, she did not think that she had a great amount of time to say her goodbyes. Caroline stopped as she walked into the backyard and took in her father's broad back and her brother's little figures, she wished that Victoria was not present, but that was unavoidable. She put a smile on her face and joyfully announced to the yard, "Good afternoon my family."

The two adults turned and looked surprised while both boys got from their chairs and ran to their sister. Jameson threw his arms around her waist, "It is so good to see you Caroline."

"I agree, we never see you anymore." William said, standing directly in front of her before taking her hand and leading her toward the table that his parents sat at.

"And I apologize for that my dear little brothers." Caroline told them, "I want you to know that my absence was in no way because I don't love you. I love you both very much."

"I love you too Care." Jameson responded, his eyes furrowed at his sister.

William looked just as confused, "I love you too Care, but why does it sound like you are saying goodbye?"

"Because I am Will." Caroline told her brother, before looking over at her father, "Niklaus needs to travel on some business, and I am going with him. I do not know how long we will be gone."

Bill got to his feet and put a hand on each of her shoulders, "I don't want you to leave Caroline. If you don't want to be alone in that giant house while your husband is away, you can stay here, with us."

Caroline smiled at her father, "I love you Father, but I love him too, and I would prefer not be separated from him."

"Where are you going?" Bill asked, he had heard such stubbornness in her voice before, when she announced she would not remarry against her will.

"I am not really sure." She answered, lying for her families own protection, "Maybe France or Spain, he wasn't very specific. Just remember, that no matter how long I am gone, that I love you, and that I always will."

"You are talking as if I will never see you again Care." Bill said and pulled his daughter into a tight hug, and he wished he never had to let her go.

"Don't be silly Father, of course you will." She almost gagged on the lie that escaped her lips. Though Klaus had never told her, she knew that there would be no way to return to England in her the short time her father had left without putting all of them into great danger.

"Caroline, love, we need to go or we are going to miss our boat." Nik called to her from the doorway, Rebekah standing next to him. Bill and Caroline pulled apart to look at them.

Victoria took the opportunity to stand and pulled Caroline into an embrace, "Goodbye Caroline, I hope your life turns out to be everything you deserve."

"Same to you Victoria." Caroline replied before she knelt down and pulled Jameson into a hug, "I am going to miss you little James."

"And I you Carebear." The boy responded, tears clouding his vision as he pulled away and took a few steps until his mother put her arms around him.

Caroline switched her focus to her other brother, "Goodbye Will, I am going to miss you too, troublemaker."

"This isn't goodbye forever right? Just for right now." Will said as her looped his arms around her neck.

"Just for right now." Caroline whispered to him, and gave him a kiss on the cheek before standing up to face her father, "Goodbye Father, I will miss you."

"I will miss you too my little princess." Bill Forbes whispered in his daughter's ear as he gripped onto her body, "I love you."

"And I love you Father." Caroline said and pulled herself out of his embrace, "I am in good hands, and I am happy. Let that ease your mind during my absence."

"I will try." Bill said as he watched his daughter walk away and into the arms of the man he had let take away his little angel. And he couldn't escape the feeling deep his gut that this would be last time he would ever see her beautiful face.


	11. New Experiences

Caroline looked out at the beautiful sunset in front of her, the colors playing off the ocean beautifully. She downed the rest of her glass, glad that Klaus had thought to water down his blood with some wine, as it had made the taste more bearable. She put the glass down on a table that was on the balcony, it made a chime ring out in the silence.

"Are you sure about this?" Klaus asked, wrapping his arms around from behind, "You can still change your mind, live a long life and die of old age."

"No, my decision was made for me the second you laid your eyes on me. I just don't think either of us realized it that early on." Caroline told him, enjoying the warm breeze on her face and strength of his embrace.

"That day almost seems so long ago, it is strange to think that is was only 4 months since I first saw you." Klaus whispered, pulling her closer to him, "I will never let you go if agree to this Caroline, it will be the two of us forever."

"And that is exactly how I want it to be." Caroline said as she relaxed in his arms, "Have you decided on how to do it?"

"I have." He answered and pulled away so she faced him, "Do you want to know?"

She shook her head, "No, I would rather not. I trust you to pick something quick and painless."

Klaus smiled and cupped her face with both of his hands and brought their lips together in a kiss. "I love you." He told her as the lips parted, and she smiled at him. He kept her eyes locked on his as he moved his hands to her neck and snapped it.

Klaus carefully placed Caroline's lifeless body on their bed, and went downstairs to prepare a glass of blood for her, so she could complete the transition. He was sure that she would want to do it this way, it would easier for her to control after she was a full vampire. The first time was never the best time to take from the vein, he had never seen it end well.

"Is it done?" Rebekah asked as he came down the stairs, she had been enjoying her own meal of a boy she had picked up at some winery or something like that.

"Yes, she just needs to wake up." Klaus said and took a long gulp of some whiskey he had acquired, and then looked at the compelled man next to Rebekah, "Can you share a bit or do I need to go find my own?"

"I would share with Caroline any day." Rebekah said and held the boy's wrist, waiting to slit it until Nik had placed the glass underneath it.

Once the glass was full, he took it away and headed back upstairs, over his shoulder he called, "I am going to go wait for her. We will see you sometime tomorrow Bekah."

"I understand." Rebekah called, a smile on her face as she continued to drink from the boy in front of her.

Rebekah was interrupted a few moments later when Elijah and Kol wandered in from other parts of the house. Kol spoke first, "Did I hear right, he finally did it?"

Rebekah rolled her eyes, "Yes Kol. The next time we see Caroline she will be a vampire."

"I think Caroline will make an excellent vampire." Elijah commented as he went to pour himself a drink of Klaus' whiskey.

"So do I. I just wish he had done it months ago before Father nearly killed us because she is our weakness." Kol explained, and looked at his brother, "Can you pour me a drink?"

Elijah raised his eyebrows, but did has he was requested, Kol usually didn't ask, he demanded. He slowly moved to sit in the chair adjacent from Kol, and across from the couch that Rebekah and her toy occupied, handing Kol his drink as he passed.

"Did either of you think that Nik would be the first of us to find love?" Kol asked before taking a small gulp of his drink.

Rebekah compelled her boy to leave before turning to Kol, "He was the second, if you think about it." She answered, and took in their confused faces, "I ran into Sage this morning when I was out looking for my friend there."

Kol rolled his eyes, "Sage? Why is she always following us? We should give her some credit, she is much better at tracking us than Father."

"She wants Finn back, at least that is what she told me." Rebekah told them, "Should we move again? Sage could always tell Mikael where we are as a way of revenge."

"She would have done that decades ago if that was her plan." Elijah spoke up, "I am sure we are fine. We will discuss Sage with Niklaus and Caroline tomorrow, there is no need to concern either of them with such problems right now."

* * *

Caroline awoke with a start, her hand immediately going to her throat.

"Caroline." His rich voice said, and her head snapped in his direction.

"You snapped my neck." She replied, not sure what to think of his method.

"It seemed the quickest and least painful way I could think of. How are you feeling?" He asked, moving from his place in a chair looking out a window to sit beside her on the bed.

"Strange, and my throat is scratchy. Is that from the neck breaking?" She asked, her hand rubbing her throat once again, "And what is that delicious smell?"

"No, the scratching feeling is because you need this, which is also the smell." He reached for a goblet resting on the night-table and held it in front of her, "Here, drink, you will feel so much better."

Caroline looked at goblet, the smell coming from the object was so inviting and she felt her entire body screaming for her to drink it. She gently took it from his hands and brought to her lips, drinking the coppery liquid down in two large gulps.

As the blood coated her throat, she felt her entire being come to life with new sensations and feelings. She could pick up the movements of her siblings downstairs, even hear some of the words they were saying. Her more intimate surroundings called to her, mostly the steady, faint thump of her husband's heartbeat. When her blue eyes met his, she felt her body surge with a nearly overwhelming amount of love. She had believed she had loved him completely before, but the intensity of her feelings in this moment were so greater than anything she had ever felt.

"I love you." She whispered, giving him a smile to match her words.

"As I love you." He responded at brought their lips together in a tender kiss. He pulled away slowly and cupped her face, "Are you feeling overwhelmed or confused on anything?"

"No, mostly I just want more blood." She answered honestly, feeling that thirst return, just not with the same searing need as before.

Klaus smirked at her, "That feeling will always be there, the hard part is controlling the urge to act on the feeling. I will help you with that control. Your experience as a young vampire will be much more pleasant than mine, I will make sure of it."

"I never doubted you would." Caroline responded with a smile of her own before lying back down on the bed, "Will all my feelings always be this intense?"

"They are stronger at the beginning," He explained as he lowered himself to lie down beside her, "As you gain control over the desire for blood, you can also gain control of your emotions. There are even ways to shut of your emotions entirely, but I would not recommend doing that, I have never seen it end well."

"Why would anyone turn off all of their emotions?" She asked as she curled her body into his.

"There are times when the bloodlust overtakes the control, and a vampire will kill those he, or she, is feeding on. The guilt from that act can be too much for some vampires, and so though choose not to feel the guilt, but in doing so they also turn off their other emotions. Leaving them as an emotionless monster." Klaus explained, he had seen it happen to many a vampire they had turned over the last few centuries.

"Have you ever turned off your emotions?" Caroline asked, keeping her head planted firmly on his chest.

Klaus was silent for a moment before answering, "No. I have considered it a few times, but I could never bring myself to turn it off. If I did, I would lose what little bit of my humanity I still had intact after all the horrible things I had done. I needed that humanity to love my siblings and to fear Mikael." He smiled down at her, "I glad that I never turned it off, if I had then I could have missed out on loving you."

"You would have found me anyway, we are meant to be." She whispered before her breathing even out and she fell asleep in his arms.

Klaus smiled at her, "Yes, we are." He whispered to her sleeping form before he followed her into the void.

* * *

Caroline walked down the stairs with a large grin on her face. Her entire being felt lighter yet stronger, she would like being a vampire, she could already tell. As she approached the dining room, she could overhear Rebekah talking to Klaus, who had gone down a few minutes before her, "I ran into Sage yesterday."

Klaus groaned in response, "What did she want?"

"To talk, about Finn." Rebekah replied, her eyes glancing up to Caroline as she entered. A smile grew on the Original's face, "How are you feeling?"

"Excellent." Caroline responded and moved to give her fellow blonde a hug, "I have never felt more alive."

"It is a wonderful plus side to vampirism." Rebekah agreed as she released her from the embrace.

Caroline took a step back and looked at her husband, "A redhaired woman named Sage came up to me at the market the same day I ran into Mikael. It slipped my mind with all the upheaval that Mikael caused."

"What did she say to you?" Klaus asked, his eyes settling firmly on hers.

"Just that she wants a chance to live her life with the man she loves, the brother you keep locked in a box." Caroline replied, giving her husband a long hard stare and not even flinching to look at Rebekah when she let out a gasp, "You have never mentioned another brother to me before."

"Haven't you learned to not keep secrets Nik?" Kol asked as he sauntered into the room and plopping himself down in one of the chairs at the table.

"Keep your mouth shut Kol." Klaus snapped at his younger brother.

Kol huffed in response before taking a bite out of a piece of bread, all the while smirking at his angry brother.

Klaus growled and was about to take a step toward him when Elijah intervened, "Enough of this childness. We are all adults, lets try to at least behave like it through breakfast. Every, please, take a seat and lets explain a bit of our history to Caroline."

Rebekah was quick to take her place at the table, Caroline slipping into the seat next to her while Klaus sat at the head of the table to Caroline's right, and Elijah sat at the opposite end, with Rebekah on his right and Kol on his left.

They ate in silence for a few minutes before Caroline asked, "So who is Finn?"

Elijah answered first, "Finn is our elder brother."

"Why isn't he here and who is Sage?" She then questioned.

"Sage is the little red headed wench Finn turned into a vampire after we turned. He claims to love her, and her him." Kol replied quickly.

There was silence once he finished his recount, and Caroline waited to see who would answer her second question. When no one moved to speak, and Klaus refused to meet her gaze she asked again, "Why is he in box? And how is he in a box?"

"There are these daggers that a witch made for some vampire hunters." Rebekah started to explain, "There are six of them, and what they do is put us, the Originals, into a sort of death sleep. As long as the dagger is in our heart, we are basically dead. That is how Finn has been for the last two centuries or so."

Caroline sighed in annoyance when again someone only answered half her questions. She turned to her husband, "Niklaus, why is your elder brother in a box? I would like a straight answer please."

Klaus gritted his teeth while taking a deep breath before he said, "Finn wanted to leave. He was sick of our constant movement because of Mikael and just wanted to live a peaceful life with Sage."

Caroline waited to see if he was going to continue before asking, "And why was this a bad thing?"

"I was an angry person at the time, haunted you could say. I saw Finn's decision to leave as a betrayal, and I didn't handle it with the best grace. We had recently acquired the daggers from the hunters, and in my rage I plunged one into Finn's heart. He has been that way ever since." Klaus told her, all the while never looking up from the plate of food in front of him.

Caroline looked around the table at her family, surprised that none of the other three did anything to stop this. Caroline closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh, "Are you still angry with him for wanting to leave?"

"No, I understand it now." He admitted, still not looking up.

"Good, so are we going to let him out so he can be with Sage?" Caroline asked her gaze resting on everyone at the table before stopping on Klaus.

"It was not something that I have given a lot of thought to." Klaus replied finally lifting his gaze to meet with the cold blue stare of his bride.

Caroline let out a huff and said, "Tomorrow, we are having Sage over for tea. It is better to have her as a friend rather than an enemy."

She watched as her family shifted in their seats, all waiting to see how Klaus would react, and he didn't say a word. He just slowly raised his glass of wine to his lips.

Elijah broke the silence, "I agree with Caroline. Sage has learned our habits too well, if we continue to deny her she can to Father with what she knows. Our only choices are to have her join us, or to kill her. The latter would turn Finn against us, for he cannot remain in that coffin forever."

Klaus turned his glare onto his older brother, not sure when suddenly his entire family was against him. His eyes slowly drifted to Kol, who looked more confused than anything else.

Kol gulped and said, "I for one do not miss Finn, he was always a downer. However, I do feel that Sage is a greater issue, and if all she wants is Finn back, I feel we should just wake him up and let them go on their way."

Caroline could sense that her husband was furious at her and his family, she calmly said to him, "We are not moving against you, we are just voicing our opinions."

Klaus continued to silently stare at them before he got to his feet quickly, his chair falling to the floor with a clack before he sped from the room, leaving the other in shock.

Caroline made a move to get to his feet when Rebekah stalled her, "Trust me, he needs some time to think on this, alone."

"I am surprised that went as well as it did." Kol commented before he resumed his meal, earning a raised eyebrow from Caroline. He elaborated, "Usually if we tell him we think he is wrong he end up with threats or something sticking out of us."

Rebekah rolled her eyes before looking at Caroline, "How would you like us to look around the grounds while your husband sulks? Things will seem a bit different now that you are a vampire."

"I am not sulking." Klaus replied suddenly from the doorway, causing four pairs of eyes to jump to him, "I was just doing as requested." He stepped aside, revealing a man standing behind him.

Caroline smiled, though they had never met, she knew instantly that this was Finn. She could even see the relation to his siblings, well to Elijah and Kol at least. Caroline slowly got out the chair and approached the man, giving him a sweet smile, "Hello I am Caroline, Niklaus' wife."

Finn's entire body reacted to her words, his head snapped up to Klaus, as if trying to see if she was lying by looking at his brother. Then his eyes slowly drifted to Caroline, and he stared at her intently, his eyes drifting over her body and stalling all her left hand for a long moment before their eyes met, "Finn Mikaelson, it is a pleasure." He told her, and his eyes drifted back to Klaus.

Caroline nodded at him, "It is wonderful to finally meet you. Now, we can truly start our new lives as a whole family." She took a few more steps and stopped in front of her husband, "I am glad you agreed." She told him before giving him a nice, long kiss on the mouth.

When she pulled away he looked at her with surprise, but quickly recovered, "I was just shown the errors of my ways."

Caroline smirked before turning to go back to her seat, and she noticed that Kol has already placed another one next to him on his side of the table.

Klaus and Finn slowly walked to their seats, it was clear that Finn was still unsure about to handle things.

Elijah broke the uncomfortable silence once his brothers had been seated, "Now, what should we discuss first?"

* * *

Three weeks had passed since Finn's resurrection and Sage's inclusion into the family fold. Things were often stressed between the newly reunited couple and the rest of the family, but it was getting easier with each day.

Caroline walked to her bedroom after a long day of visiting the local markets with Rebekah and Sage, an attempt at womanly bonding. Though she did find herself liking Sage, she could already tell that their friendship would never match the level that she shared with Rebekah.

Arms wrapped around her as soon as the door had shut behind her completely, "You are so beautiful." Klaus whispered in her ear before dropping a kiss on her neck.

Caroline laughed, "You say that everyday."

"That does not make it any less true." He responded and spun her around, "I was thinking that you and I deserve sometime to ourselves for awhile. How would you like to see Athens?"

Caroline cocked her head and gave him a questioning look, "You wish to leave your family?"

"Not forever, only for a few months, maybe a year. I want to spend some time focusing just on us." Klaus explained to her, ending his sentence with a quick kiss to her lips.

"We cannot leave until after the wedding." Caroline reminded him, spinning away to walk toward the window.

"I wasn't suggesting we did, I was just suggesting that we get time to focus on us, and no one else." Klaus insisted, not understanding her resistance, "Are you afraid to be truly alone with me?"

"Of course not." She scoffed, and turned to look at him, "I just never took a moment to realize that we have never been completely alone."

"Then why are you resisting?" He asked, coming to stand beside her once again.

Caroline looked away for a moment before she looked into his blue eyes, "What if we leave and something happens to them?"

Klaus sighed in understanding and placed his arms on her shoulders, "They are more than capable of looking out for themselves. Besides, Mikael is more interested in getting to me than he is them."

Caroline nodded, she had gathered that from all she had learned of Mikael since his attack on her at the market. Caroline smiled at him and said, "Yes, Nik. Let's go to Athens, I will travel this entire world with you."

Klaus smiled, it was the first time she had used the nickname that was previously only reserved for use by his younger siblings. He lent down and captured her lips, this time pushing all of his emotions into it. When he separated their lips, he asked, "What are the places you wish to see?"

Caroline paused for a moment before saying, "Everywhere. Egypt, China, all the great cities of the world. And, one day, I want to see the land where you were born."

"That place doesn't exist to the civilized world." He replied, finding her smile contagious, even if it was not his favorite idea of all time.

"For now, one day it will be and when that happens, I want to see it. Can you promise me that Nik?" Caroline asked, smirking up at him as she was held in his arms.

"Yes my love. I promise you that one day you will see the land where I was born." He told her, their eyes never breaking contact during the promise.

Caroline's smile grew greater and she wrapped her arms around his waist, waiting for the day when his promise would be fulfilled and knew that she would love this man forever and always, no matter what changes life threw their way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That is all for this story! There is a sequel that I will post up here soon that one is still a work in progress. It is called A Fresh Start and it will will introduce some for the TVD characters into the story. Hope you liked this enough to stick around. Don't forget to comment!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! This is already a complete work but that doesn't mean I don't like reading what you think! Please comment!


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